Until I'm Saved
by Hihey9989
Summary: Just when Bolt figures he has it all mastered, he becomes the next target of Cupid's arrow. Can Bolt win over a two-time dog show champion? And just how far will Isabel's owner, Paul Osmond, go to win the dog show again?
1. Sapphire Eyes

Disclaimer!

I do not own Bolt, Mittens, or Rhino. I, likewise, do not own the characters of Penny or Emily Wallace, as they are owned by Walt Disney Pictures. However, the names Emily and Wallace are from my brain. Isabel, Paul Osmond, Joe Allen, Calvin Benson, Mindy, Mike, Auger, Daisy, Buck, Geoff, and Charlie are my OCs.

Rated T for coarse language, crude humour, blood, violence, suggestive themes, and mature dialogue.

Foreword

Incase you are wondering, here's what's happening. A friend of mine who I am beta reading for suggested, instead of writing new sequels, I start from scratch and rewrite Until I'm Saved... and I found the idea better than just continuing with Nostalgia, because I am feeling zero motivation to continue it... at least at the moment. So, this is what I'm gonna do, I am going to rewrite Until I'm Saved, POSSIBLY rewrite Vertigo, and then, if all goes well, continue with Nostalgia... however, given the fact that Barely Aware is absent from this list as well as fanfiction. net, I will probably have to change the end of Vertigo a little bit. I will try to get a chapter up every 2-3 days this time instead of the chapter-a-day strategy.

This story, incase you did not have the chance to read it the first time around, takes place 2 months after Bolt saves Penny from the burning TV station. Just when Bolt thinks he has it all mastered, Cupid's arrow strikes him at first sight of a gold husky named Isabel. Many shenanigans and coincidences bring these two together, but will Bolt choose love over his family? And exactly how far will Isabel's owner, two-time Missouri dog show champion Paul Osmond, go to be a winner once again? Well, let's begin! ...again!

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Until I'm Saved

I: Sapphire Eyes

A steady rain doused the burgundy-shingled roof of the Wallace house on a September afternoon. The relaxing melody of the raindrops drenching the newly shined windows, lustrous and bold, creating a peaceful, rhythmic hum, a melodic trance, which spread throughout the empty house, absent of all life... well, all _human_ life. The famous white American Shepherd that America had come to know as Bolt the Superdog, dozed peacefully upon the plush red couch laced with lighter red patterns of flowers among other floral embellishments, the hue and tint only showing the slightest contrast from the rose-red which coated the remainder.

The far left cushion on the couch was warmed, as the warmth of a soft body, complete with life, breath, and pulse, lay soundly upon it. The quiet, rhythmic breathing of the medium-sized Shepherd only adding to the hypnotic chorus of raindrops rapping at the windows. This dog was living the American Shepherd's dream; he had already won fame and attention, but that really didn't matter to him . Sure, being a former star supplied him with visitors every now and then, all wanting to simply appreciate the peer-proclaimed "superdog", to give him attention, to reward him for simply being himself, but this was not exactly what he had desired and craved for those long days and nights journeying back to Hollywood. What he really craved was to love, and to be loved. In his mind, he had now accomplished both, finding and winning back Penny, his beloved Owner, but Bolt was always prepared for the unexpected. After all, it's what brought Bolt to the realization that he was not a superdog.

As the afternoon reached a barrier between dusk and dawn; the morning of the evening, Bolt stirred. He slowly extended his arms and legs along the couch to stretch himself out, still laying on his belly, eyes squinted shut, and face wearing an innocent and happy smile until his mouth, unclasped, expanded widely into a great yawn, a tired grunt escaping him. Once the yawn finished its course, the happy expression returned. Amber eyes shimmering under the natural light bursting through the windows from the rainy outside, lips curving upward on both ends, brow and forehead relaxed into a look of content and self-indulgence.

Bolt finally sat up, stretching a little more while peering both left and right. Bolt could see Mittens's sleeping form at the opposite end of the couch. Bolt always thought Mittens was grouchy when she her sleep was interrupted, so Bolt made an effort to avoid waking her up as he continued to wake up from his nap. Mittens, over the last two months, had become quite a wonderful animal to be around. She had an uncanny ability of knowing what someone wanted and when they wanted it, such as when to fall asleep on someone's lap or when to just leave someone alone. She wasn't quite as social as Bolt, and often times would scurry to the attic or basement if the house got too crowded to her liking.

Bolt ended his stretch on the note of another large yawn; mouth opening widely and tongue curling back like a yo-yo twirling it's way back up the string. Bolt rose to all fours and, quiet as a mouse, he hopped off the red couch, landing on the soft, beige carpet below. Just another perk of being a former superdog... everything is so soft and comforting at home.

He began a trek toward the dining room, the door to which was located near the front wall, to the left of the couch. Bolt let his paws drag against the soft carpet, still waking up from his nap. Then he placed a rough paw down upon the hard, shining wooden floor of the dining room. Both its temperature and texture contrasting greatly to the softness of the beige carpet in the living room.

Bolt padded slowly through the dining room, tongue hanging slightly out of his mouth as the contented smile remained. He kept himself in close proximity to the tan stucco walls, decked with wood-framed pictures of Penny, her mother Emily, him, Mittens, and Rhino; the entire happy family. The family had been going through some very up and down times financially, despite these masques of optimism forever painted over their faces. When you are only on a show that is run on the merchandise it sells, rather than the fact that it is a good show, for only two seasons, you get money... but it doesn't last forever. Given this fact, coupled with the recent economic downturn, Emily began contemplating things such as selling her old Jeep Grand Cherokee for a hybrid in order to save money. This idea was nothing short of meager compared to her grand scheme; finding a good man to help hold down the fort by bringing home a paycheck of his own. She had been out on many dates of late, none of them progressing past the first, and Penny began to involuntarily feel sympathy for her mother. Other than this, all had been well. Bolt continued through the dining room, paws clicking quietly on the waxed floor, the rain creating the only background noise in the cozy house. He continued looking up at the array of framed photos on the wall next to him. On the long trip back to Hollywood, as well as many times growing up there, he had almost forgotten how great it felt to have someone to love and to get the same in return.

Bolt used his head to open the door to Emily's room. He placed a paw upon the soft rug beneath him and began to look around. Bolt looked at a black metal cage... Well, it was not a cage as much as it was a condo, complete with five stories. On each story was something different, from cardboard to toy balls. Bolt spotted the energetic ball of fuzz he had come to know as Rhino the hamster, a former Bolt fanatic. Rhino's personality had not changed much from when he and Bolt first met; he was still as eccentric as ever, but just as Mittens had, he had grown very attached to the family and found himself becoming very social among them. He loved to be in his exercise ball and out of his cage just so he could watch TV with them. Rhino's favourite thing in the world was watching sci-fi or action thrillers with the family alongside.

Bolt hopped onto Emily's soft bed and turned to face Rhino, who's cage was placed not a foot from the bed. "Hey Rhino, what's up?" Rhino held out a finger to hush Bolt, his eyes were fixed on the 30" flatscreen TV on the other side of the room. Bolt turned his head, following Rhino's mesmerized gaze, to see a 1970's looking car, lime green and marred with several dings and dents, driving at ridiculous speeds down a highway from a camera in the cockpit of a police cruiser. The other cars in their path were nothing more than blurs. Bolt was not surprised to see Rhino watching something like this, and let out an amused chuckle, "This one acted or real, Rhino?"

"Ohh! This one is real, that's the best part! See, the cops just wanted to give the person in the green car a speeding ticket, but now he's on the run from the cops! I don't think it's just that he doesn't want a speeding ticket... I have a feeling he's hiding something in that car that he doesn't want those cops to see! YOU GET HIM, COPPERS!!! NEVER RUN FROM THE LAW!!!" Rhino screamed out, now breathing heavily as he had excited himself. Bolt giggled, "Okay, easy Rhino. I'll watch it with you." Bolt watched as the chase continued on the TV.

Eventually, the cop found backup; two other police cruisers had made their way into the action, and one of them was able to clip the right rear corner of the car and send it into a spin off the road. The man jumped out of the car and tried to make a run for it before tripping and falling in the dirt. This enabled two officers to cuff him and drag him over to his car. "Sir, we have found illegal paraphernalia in your car. Do you have an explanation?" The bony-faced man, fuming with anger, did not answer, and instead spat in the cop's face. The cop wiped his face quickly and wiped his fingers off on his uniform, seeming to remain nonchalant to the man's 'answer'. "You have the right to remain silent, sir. Do you know your Miranda Rights?" The man did not respond, and the cop began to recite to him his Miranda Rights. "Yeah. Bunch of crazy people in the world. It's all ego…" Rhino commented.

A commercial followed, and Rhino let out a frustrated sigh. He got himself up and scurried to the fourth floor of his hamster condo. There were two bars in the cage, which had been bent so much that he was able to wriggle his way out of the cage between them. Bolt, a smile on his face, rolled his eyes when he first saw this, '_Typical Rhino...' _he thought.

Rhino quickly climbed up the side of his cage, not finding it much of a challenge as his claws were perfect for climbing up the bars that made up the cage walls like a ladder. He eventually found himself at the top, where the channel changer was usually kept. He spotted it on the front edge and trotted to it. Eager, he quickly scrolled through the channels as fast as the remote would allow. Bolt watched as he passed a football game, a cartoon about cats, a medical show, a stock car race, a documentary about the War of 1812, a shampoo commercial, among many other random programs until Bolt saw something he liked, "Stop! Right there!" He yelled right as Rhino was about to change the channel once again.

On the television were several people and dogs lined up in a row, each wearing white cards with black numbers printed boldly on them. Bolt looked at Rhino inquisitively, "What's that?"

"Oh, that?" Rhino asked him, making it sound like the answer was nothing. "Ehh, that's one of those dog shows where goofy people dress up real nice to show off how well-trained their dog is. Honestly, I think they do nothing more than brainwash dogs into drones meant only to obey their masters." Suddenly, a large husky appeared on screen. Her fur was flowing and her eyes a stunning sapphire-azure. To put it simply, she got Bolt's attention.

His jaw dropped.


	2. Star Struck

Sorry for the delay, I had to get this beta read before posting it and I typically don't write on the weekends. Well, hope you're enjoying this rewrite. This chapter is probably the biggest change so far. Nothing really different, just the fact that it's a different chapter instead of a part of chapter 1. This one, Bolt discovered the power of a crush, and I added a little something so that I didn't _completely_ leave out the Bolt x Mittens fans. Let's begin!

**II: ****Star Struck**

Bolt listened intently as the announcer dramatically narrated, "Can Queen Isabel retake her throne as the champion? Or will someone else take home the trophy? Find out this February in the Missouri All-Star Dog Show Championship, here on WXKL TV."

Rhino commented as Bolt continued to stare, "Pfft, it's all a sham! I watched one of those before, that Isabel dog won. She's supposed to be some kind of two-time champion or something."

Bolt, jaw still slack and amber eyes wide, commented, "Ohh, that doesn't surprise me one bit."

"Yeah, me neither. Give a dog enough makeup and expensive food and parade it around and you get a champion. Not to mention her owner probably doesn't love the dog as much as he loves the fame, that's what happens. First, they are acting like they can't believe it, being all modest, next thing you know they are drunk, high, and naked in the back of a Lexus, lost in an afterglow they will never remember. It's sad. Not a chance in hell I'll ever see you end up like that, Bolty. You're different; family is all you need. Am I right or am I right?"

Bolt didn't respond.

Rhino repeated himself like a broken record, "Am I right or am I right?"

Bolt remained silent.

"Bolt?" Rhino jumped down from the top of his cage onto Emily's bed and scurried over to Bolt. "You okay?" He noticed Bolt's vacant, mesmerized expression and began to wonder if he was a little surprised at what he had seen on TV. Rhino climbed up Bolt's furry body and perched atop his head, waving one of his little hands in front of Bolt's eyes. "Yoo-hoo! Anyone home?!"

To Rhino's surprise, Bolt replied with a hushed voice, "What chances would someone like me have with a two-time champion?"

Rhino let out a quick chuckle before replying, "You serious, Bolt? Her? What do you see in _her_?"

"Her stunning sapphire eyes, her shining golden fur, her beautiful smile, her... why do I feel like this? I've never felt like this about anyone, not even Mittens."

"Not even Mittens? But I thought you two were diggin' on each other for a while?"

"Not me. I liked her... but I never felt like this when we tried it out."

Rhino sighed, trying to understand exactly what he meant. He then hopped off of Bolt's head and back onto the bed, where he trekked back to the edge and jumped over to his cage. Rhino climbed back up the bars of his cage hurriedly. When he reached the top, he again scrolled through the channels until he came to channel 8, Soap Network. On the TV, there was a blond woman and a brown-haired man with a goatee locking lips.

"That's called love, Bolt. See, that man there is Alan, and that woman there is Candace. Alan is in love with Candace, but what Candace doesn't know is that Alan is seeing Alicia and Becky behind her back! Becky is good if Joey wants money and Alicia is good if Joey wants love, but this girl is very special to him, do you know why?" Rhino lowered his voice to a whisper, "Ask why!"

Bolt rolled his eyes again and sighed, amused by Rhino's antics, "Why?" He finally asked, semi-sarcastically.

"Because Candace is his best friend's sister!" Rhino continued enthusiastically. "See, his best friend Jason has been stealing credit for everything he does at work! So, what's Alan gonna do? Complain to his boss, Judy? Or his mom, Wanda? No way! He's gonna take care of things himself! He's gonna get that girl in that room, and then he's gonna take her clothes off, and then he'll start--"

"Alright, alright... I get it, Rhino." Rhino was panting, excited by the plot. Unfortunately for Bolt, he was not quite finished, "Oh! Oh! Oh! I almost forgot, Bolt! Love can occur between two people of the _same_ gender as well! I'll find that show for you!"

"No! No, thank you Rhino." Bolt exclaimed, hopping up onto all fours and laughing a bit. Rhino was still panting, excited by the plotline and just the television in general.

"Calm down, Rhino." The familiar voice of the black and white cat added, joining the conversation. She had just entered the room, having overheard the conversation from the living room. Rhino and Bolt remained silent, allowing Mittens to speak. "That's called love, Bolt. Given that you lived such a sheltered life, I figured I'd be telling you about it someday. Love is when you feel intense passion for someone. If you need someone to talk to more about it, I'm here for you, Bolt."

Bolt smiled sadly. Then his ears perked up; someone was at the door. Startling both of his companions, Bolt immediately let out a loud yip. He scampered towards the living room, Mittens in tow. The front door opened, allowing a drenched Penny and Emily entrance. Bolt was there, of course, as if he had been waiting patiently by the door since they had left. He hopped up and down, trying to lick Penny's face as Penny giggled, reaching into her bags. "I'm sorry, Bolt, it's raining out, so we can't go play. I think I have something that will make it up to you, though." Penny lifted the hand that she had buried into her purse and pulled out a squeaky toy resembling a bone. "My friend gave me this at school. You want it, buddy?" She waved it teasingly at Bolt as he dropped to his forepaws, tail wagging rapidly, gesturing that he wanted it. Penny tossed the bone onto the couch next to Mr. Carrot and Bolt dashed after it and began gnawing on it enthusiastically and growling playfully. Penny and Emily made their way to the kitchen where Emily began putting away a few groceries. "So, mom... how did the date go?"

Emily dramatically rose up from her leaned-over position to access the refrigerator and faced Penny, "It went..."

"It went?"

"Awful! Charles is a bum! He has lived off his friends and family for the last three years. Hasn't held a job for more than three weeks in that time." Emily's speech was followed by a disappointed sigh.

"Well, mom... before you give up, let me just say that I was hoping for your date to go bad."

Emily turned to face her daughter, surprised she'd say something like that, "And why is _that_?!"

"Well, I told Mindy... you know Mindy, right?"

"Yeah, your brown-haired friend with the lip piercing."

"Yeah, her dad is friends with a dog trainer. Perhaps you've heard of Paul Osmond?"

Emily leaned against the counter, giving her daughter her full attention now, "Him? The winner of the 2006 and 2007 Missouri All-Star Dog Show? What chance would a mom have with a famous man like him?"

Penny chuckled, "Well, it's gone pretty well so far... because I told Mindy about your situation, and one thing led to another, and now he'll be waiting for you tomorrow at Eastridge Buffet. 7:30p.m."

Emily was a bit shocked at this, and it took her a moment to let all of it soak in. "So... my daughter got me a blind date? That's kinda silly, but I guess that's some good news. Thank you, honey."

Penny turned her back and head out of the room into the living room, where Bolt, Mittens, and Rhino, who had somehow managed to get himself into his ball on his own, awaited love from the family. Penny collapsed onto the couch, exhausted from the long Wednesday at school. Penny had to stay after school to make up a test, and therefore she was more exhausted than usual. Bolt of course gave her an onslaught of slobbery kisses, cheering her up and earning him an ear shake and a kiss on the forehead, "Good boy, Bolt." Bolt yipped playfully in response. A jealous Mittens approached from the other side of her, meowing. "Oh, Mittens..." Penny giggled a she sat up, beginning to stroke the purring Mittens' head, "I love you, too." Before long, Rhino joined them, resting next to Penny's foot in his ball. "You guys are great. I love you."

While relaxing on the couch alongside Penny, Bolt could not get the thoughts of the gold husky out of his head. They had burnt an image of her in his brain.


	3. In the Eyes of Perfection

Just as the original, this chapter will be a lot less dialogue and a lot more descriptions. This chapter introduces Paul Osmond and Isabel, my first-ever FanFiction. net OCs!!! Also, this is a very short chapter compared to what I'd usually write, which is why I plan to get chapter 3 up as quickly as possible after this one. It's only told from one PoV, and that's not really fair to leave Bolt out of my writing for a week =( Now, my understanding of biology may not be the most accurate, but I guess we'll just call it AU and leave it. Let's begin!

**III: In the Eyes of Perfection**

All was still, save the quiet ticking of the grandfather clock in the living room and the scratching of lead on paper in the study. Paul Osmond sat at his desk, filling out papers to be sent to the owners of dogs he had recently groomed and trained. His short stature slumped over the black-painted wooden desk from the rolling desk chair he was seated in. His left hand gripped the pencil shakily while his right was placed on his brow, allowing his head to perch on it. His grayish blue eyes were fixed on the paper, while his lips were pushed together thoughtfully. His black hair, which would typically be neat and styled, was a frizzy mess; he had gotten into a fight with a hairbrush and lost. It was as if he was struggling to fight something. Something within himself, like a deep emotion or a burning desire. It seemed like his fight was to avoid it and drown it out by focusing on his work.

Paul let his left hand go limp, letting the pencil drop from his hand and make a brief series of hollow taps as it came to rest on the desktop. Paul let out a sigh through his gritted teeth and pushed himself back into a reclining position. His eyes were now fixed on two large papers framed on the wall, 'Missouri All-Star Dog Show Champion'. Paul wiped his brow and reached out for a paper which had been tossed carelessly to the side on his desk, similar to most everything else in the room. The only signs of organization were an old metal Rolodex and a trash can filled with crumpled-up papers. Paul glanced at the paper with a combination of frustration and dejection, before slamming it back down on his desk and slowly lifting himself from the chair. He ventured out of the small room and into the living room.

Paul Osmond was the 2006 and 2007 champion of the Missouri All-Star Dog show, and memories of the most recent bomb that was the 2008 show were haunting him. His desire to reclaim his throne got the better of his emotions, and it showed as he slammed the door to the minuscule office he had been in for what seemed like an eternity. In the 2008 show, Paul Osmond's name was all that got him to the Poplar Bluff, Missouri semi-finals, as Isabel did nothing to help him there. The elegance, style, and obedience that she had shown in the two previous years had mysteriously vanished. Paul's concern was that his dog was getting too old and was no longer in top form, and he had no bright ideas of how to fix this problem ready.

For a two-time champion, his house was rather modest. Aside from a few expensive embellishments such as the grandfather clock and the 60" high-definition TV, the house was simply average. The exterior was tattered with discoloured aluminum siding and peeling shingles on the leaf-covered roof.

Paul walked up the single stair that divided the kitchen from the living room and placed a bare foot on the cold kitchen floor. He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a half-eaten Subway foot-long sub along with a Kronik Energy drink. _Gonna be a long night_. He turned around to see his two-time champion, still as stone, eyes fixed on his sub sandwich. Paul sighed and looked down at his sandwich. "You want food, Izzy?" He grunted. Isabel looked up at her Master, licking her chops. Paul unwrapped the sandwich and broke off half of what remained. He tossed the sandwich into the watering mouth of Isabel. Isabel retreated to the living room, where Paul lazily fell over onto the leather couch, lost in his own self-pity.

Isabel was a classy girl. She was a loving, easygoing dog that just happened to be born with a silver bone in her mouth. However, she did have a very picky taste in her mates. Every year at the dog shows, she would find a new dog to be her mate, always a purebred. But, after her lackluster 2008 performance, she ruined any chance of it for the year. Isabel's last pack of pups were born well over a year before, and her Master had trained and sold them all.

"Izzy..." He turned his head to see his pride and joy munching away at the sandwich. "What do you think the odds are that I can get a trained dog off of someone?" He asked it with such emotion that it sounded as if he expected an answer from his dog. Indeed, the tension was mounting.

Paul reached for the remote on the table beside the couch he was laying on, stomach and face down, and turned the TV on. On the TV was a behind-the-scenes for the TV show, Bolt. "Tasha Goldman replaced the old star of the show, Penny Wallace, after the studio fire in June. Expect new episodes starring Tasha Goldman and her dog, Bolt this November!" Paul rolled his eyes at this, knowing Bolt was a trained dog, "Yeah, just mock me! Go ahead!" He lifted an empty plastic cup from the table next to the remote and threw it at the TV. It hit with a loud thud.

Almost immediately, Paul remembered the girl he was going out with the next day, "Wait a minute!" He yelled as he jumped to his feet. "Penny Wallace... isn't her mother...?" He ran to the office, throwing the door open and tearing apart his Rolodex to find the piece of paper he had written down the information on the girl he was going out with. He pulled out the white scrap of paper and read off the name, "Emily Wallace..." Inspiration had struck. "Izzy... I think I know what I'm gonna do! I'll have Bolt be your mate! That way, his inherited traits along with yours will provide me with easier and faster-to-train puppies! Not only that, but it will satisfy your picky taste in males! It's perfect!" Despite Paul's sudden enthusiasm, which Isabel so desired, she had stopped listening long ago.


	4. First Encounter

Sorry, I've been having computer problems, but they are fixed now =D I would love some more R&R =D This chapter isn't too different from the original, especially later on. Let's begin!

IV: First Encounter

The day-long rainstorm had finally let up, allowing the sunrise to break through the clouds. The rain-drenched grass glistened with the golden sheen of daybreak. It wasn't quite 8 o'clock, yet Bolt was wide awake. He had always loved watching the sunrise, especially after a good, long rainstorm. Everything just seemed so much clearer, and the cool air gave off a clean, Earthy scent. This time, however, Bolt was experiencing an emotional tidal wave watching the sunrise. He felt confused over what had happened to him in the past 15 hours, and now alone since Emily was out taking Penny to school.

"Bolt?" Mittens asked, having just woken up. "What are you doing up so early?" Bolt continued to stare out the window. He did not respond. "Bolt? You okay?" Mittens approached the windowsill and looked up at Bolt. She noticed the sullen expression on his face and the bags under his eyes, "Are... are you okay?"

Bolt inhaled deeply before responding, "Oh, I don't know Mittens. I can't get her out of my head. I could barely get an hour of sleep last night because thinking about her made me feel so good inside, and at the same time it made me feel awful." He sighed and bowed his head, eyes closed, "What-- uh... what chance would some mutt like me have at winning her over?"

Mittens narrowed her gaze at him. Her gaze not so much cross as it was critical, almost empathetic, "Bolt, you aren't just a mutt. You may not have superpowers, but there is so much more to you than just an average dog. You have a big heart and a great personality." She hopped onto the large windowsill. "Just give it a few more days, Bolt. It may hurt, but chances are you probably won't ever meet her."

"See, that's where you are wrong. What I'm so worked up over is the fact that Mom is going out with that guy... her Dad! If he makes Mom happy, then I probably _will _get to meet her."

Mittens thought about this, and for once she did not have any remarks; he was right. She drew a deep breath and approached Bolt. Bolt raised his head and looked into her emerald eyes, "Bolt... I don't know what else to say. Just take care of yourself, please. Your breakfast is still in the kitchen, and if you won't eat it then I will!"

"I'm not hungry." Bolt remarked dryly.

Mittens gave him a half-hearted smile and gently placed a paw on his flank, "You'll be okay, Bolt. You journeyed across the country and saved Penny from a fire, I think you can handle a little crush."

Bolt remarked with a half-hearted smile of his own, "Thank you." Mittens hopped off the windowsill and back onto the beige carpet, and Bolt proceeded to continue his gaze out the window.

Rhino showed up in his hamster ball no more than two minutes after Mittens's departure. "Augh, what a terrible movie I saw last night! Glad that's over. Next time I want to watch a movie about a possessed artichoke, remind me not to." Rhino had expected a response, but all Rhino heard was Bolt's steady breathing as well as the melodic twitters of hummingbirds and blue jays outside. "Bolt?" Rhino asked. "Are you o-- oh! ...You're still crushing." Rhino always loved making others feel better. He often served as Mittens's or Bolt's crying 'shoulder', why not try love guru as well? "Bolt... there comes a time where all heroes feel so strongly about something that they get themselves down over it, but the way I see it, you need to chin up! You are likely to meet her within a week or two, so why not take it head on instead of moping over it?"

Bolt turned his head to the rodent at the foot of the chair, who was standing nobly in his hamster ball, "Who taught you that one, Rhino?"

Rhino peered up at Bolt, wide-eyed, "You did, Bolt. You are the hero that taught me this, because you are wise, noble, and... and... FULLY AWESOME!!! You are like... like... like peanut butter mixed with chocolate awesome! Like... if Jet Li and Chuck Norris somehow had a baby, and that baby went and had a baby with awesome, it would be you!" Rhino continued blathering about Bolt's magnitude as he departed to the kitchen.

Bolt could not help but chuckle at Rhino's strange logic. Rhino had succeeded at, not only inspiring Bolt, but cheering him up. The tired dog lifted himself up from the chair, hopped off, and made his way to his soft bed on the opposite side of the room near the couch. He slept soundly for the rest of the morning.

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Around 7p.m. it was the usual routine. Emily had just served Penny her dinner, and Bolt was doing everything he could to get some of her food. Meanwhile, Mittens and Rhino were watching Mythbusters; the only show Rhino watched that Mittens could tolerate, and Emily was getting herself ready for her date with Paul. She came back into the living room wearing a large black skirt, smooth as silk, her hair was in a bun, and she was wearing more makeup than what she was usually seen in. Her shoes were shined black leather, resembling what someone would see at a church, and she wore green jeans underneath the skirt.

It was rare that Penny saw her mom dress up _this_ formally, and Penny put down her food on the table to give her a round of applause, "Wow! You look great, mom!"

"Thank you, honey. I just want to make a good first impression. Let's hope this one goes well."

"Oh, I'm sure it'll be great." Penny added.

Emily smiled and kissed her daughter on the forehead, "Thanks honey. Well, I'm off!" She took a deep breath and made her way for the front door. Bolt watched intently from the couch as Emily exited the house, and then he ran up to the front window where he watched as Emily backed the Jeep Grand Cherokee out of the driveway. Mittens knew that Bolt knew where Mom was headed; she could sense his anxiety, but she kept her mouth shut. Deep in her heart, she felt that Bolt's little crush wouldn't last.

It was not typical of Bolt to stop begging for food before he got any, and Penny began to think something was amiss when Bolt ran for the front window. She broke off a piece of her PB&J sandwich and approached Bolt. "Aww Bolt. Don't worry, Mom will be home soon." She leaned over and hugged the white dog before offering him the small treat she held in her fingers. Bolt snatched the piece of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich in a flash and chewed contentedly. "You're my good boy." She kissed him on the cheek and invited him back to the couch. He didn't follow.

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"Paul Osmond?" Emily asked boldly, facing a short man standing at the entrance to EastRidge Buffet. The man had his head focused on the newspaper in his hands, but when Emily first spoke, he immediately lifted his head from it and focused his gaze directly at Emily. He smiled, "Why yes, I am. And you must be Emily."

Emily giggled, "Yes, I am."

"Well, shall we go inside?" Paul gestured his hands toward the entrance, signaling for her to enter first. They sat down at the first booth seat available and began to chat, "So... Emily Wallace... is it?"

Emily nodded before responding, "It sound familiar at all?"

"Yeah, it does. Isn't your daughter Penny from that TV show Bolt?" He asked, trying to sound sincere and a little star struck.

"Yep. That's the one!" Emily confirmed, smiling at him.

"Well, it makes sense. Your daughter is beautiful, and it's clear to see where she gets it from." He smiled confidently at her, and she began blushing slightly, "Well, thank you."

"So... is the dog yours?" He leaned back in the booth slightly as he asked.

"Bolt? Oh, yes. He and Penny are good friends. Bolt sleeps next to her every night, and she is the only person he can trust with the vacuum cleaner."

Paul smiled, "Awww, that's so cute! I love hearing about people and their pets. I just love animals with a passion, that's how I got into dog training." A waiter approached and they both ordered. Paul ordered the same thing that Emily did, hoping to gain a piece of her heart.

Paul offered to pay the bill, and did so graciously and modestly. After the meal, they both exchanged a hug and thanked each other for the great dinner. "I had a wonderful time, Paul. We should do this again. A week from today, same place?"

"You know it! Oh, and I will pick you up next time."

Emily was surprised at how much of a gentleman he was, "Okay, sounds great. Any particular reason?"

"Well, actually yes." Paul glanced at her seriously. "I love training dogs, so I thought maybe I could bring Bolt back to my place and... you know, see what I can do."

Emily was a little surprised by this, but it did not show on her face. She maintained a calm expression, "Well... he's already trained."

"No, I don't mean the stuff he learned in Hollywood training. I mean... like, you know, obedience training like you see in dog shows."

Emily glanced at him, an apologetic expression already showing on her face, "That is very kind of you, Paul... but, the problem is--"

"Oh, forget I asked. I'm sorry... I just love working with animals."

The false sincerity finally exposed itself to Emily in his voice; Paul did not seem as embarrassed as he tried to make it sound, and it was his downfall in the lie. "What's the real reason?" Emily asked, a knowing, confident smirk on her visage. The words came out plain and unbroken.

Paul really was embarrassed now, and sighed, "My dog, Isabel... she's too old to take part in the dog show."

"But... isn't she only like...?"

"Six. Seven in December. That is far too old to take part in a competition based solely on physical appearance and ability. I mean... seven in dog years is a good 45-50 human years! How often do you see people that age in the Olympics?"

Emily had to admit that he had a good point, but she was not swayed, "Paul... I would love to help you out with that... but Bolt... he is not a show dog. He is a house dog! His purpose in our lives isn't to be a champion as much as a member of the family."

"Well, it isn't Bolt I plan to use in the dog show... I just need a trained dog to pass on his dominant genes onto Isabel's pups. See, if I have two trained dogs mate, instead of one trained and one untrained, the puppies that they breed will have the dominant genes and traits of two trained dogs instead of one, which will make the puppies a lot easier to train. At this point, I already have my work cut out for me trying to train a two month old dog, so I don't need to factor in the fact that their father wasn't trained. I'll be damned if one of these pet shops around here have a pre-trained dog within my budget, and I'm closing down my dog training business for the rest of the year to focus on the show, so I have no incoming money."

Emily sighed, "Listen, Paul... I would love to lend Bolt to you for a week, maybe more... as long as you need, perhaps. See, it's not that I don't want to, but I'm worried about Bolt and Penny. Bolt would be so confused and lost without Penny, and Penny would be so upset knowing this."

"Well... I respect that. I guess I will have to find another way. Thank you for knocking the idea kindly, though." Paul smiled sincerely, but inside he knew he had just been defeated.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was a tale of two different mind sets. Emily's glass was half full; she had just met a wonderful man and had a great outlook on her relationship with him. She could not wait till next week.

Paul, on the other hand, returned home with mixed feelings. He loved his new girlfriend, as she was everything he had been looking for, but his frustration showed over that. He returned home, walked into his house and slowly closed the door behind him. He walked over to the burgundy-coloured leather couch and fell over backwards onto it, dejected. Isabel had been asleep, but now she approached her Master and assaulted him with a few loving licks on his face with a wet velvety tongue.

Paul sighed, "I'm sorry, girl. I know we've worked all year for this... but it looks like we ain't gonna be doing any dog shows this time." Isabel licked him one more time, this time on his hand, "Stop that, Izzy." He ordered, pulling his hand away. "We're gonna do this the old-fashioned way... cross our fingers, search hard, and hope for the best."


	5. Pinnacle

Hey, maybe I'll be able to draw my OCs on my own (save Paul Osmond as I do not draw humans) because I've actually been doing some freehand drawings and been getting some good feedback. I did a couple of Bolt sketches and will upload them to DeviantART tomorrow (When I get my camera back... no scanner =( )

The original plot of this chapter is how we discover what hunger to win lies within Paul Osmond. However, I kept that and added a little scene to the end. I was originally planning to put it in a chapter by itself, but there is no way it will be long enough to justify a sixth chapter before The Pursuit... plus, chapter 7 is getting up there (at least from what you've seen outta me). Well, enough rambling, let's begin!

**V: Pinnacle**

A week had passed since Bolt had been struck by Cupid's timely arrow, but the effect of it remained. Bolt remained both enthralled by the thought of her, and a nervous wreck knowing that he would eventually meet her. He continued to concern himself with it as he laid down like a rug on the front porch. The sun shimmered off his soft, white fur, casting a slight luminosity onto the screen door behind him.

He relaxed himself by listening to the buzzing and occasional hiccups of a neighbour's lawnmower, the melodies being sung by nearby birds, the smell of freshly cut grass, smoke from a cookout, and the warm setting Missouri sun beaming down on him. However, it did nothing to settle his internal unrest. Faint pictures of Isabel both polluted and embellished his memory. She had been all he could think about for pretty much the entire week.

The door opened behind the dog, and out of it came Penny and her friend Mindy. Mindy looked quite similar to Penny, save the fact that Mindy's hair was black and much longer. The thumping of Mindy's black and pink Converse on the wooden porch got Bolt's attention; he raised his head to see Mindy and Penny both staring down at him and smiling. He wagged his tail in response and let out a playful growl. The girls responded with a synchronous "Aww."

Both Mindy and Penny sat down next to Bolt, pulled out their cell phones, and began text messaging. Penny placed a hand softly on Bolt's flank, warmed by the sun.

"Did you get that text message from Sam?" Penny inquired.

"Text message from Sam? No, what was it about?"

"He says he got a new dog."

"Are you dead serious? Again?!"

"Yeah, his parents still think he could be responsible if he puts his mind to it. They say he has to make a choice to either mature and remember what's right or do things solely for enjoyment and end up regretting it."

"So they thought it would be a good idea to get him another dog to 'solely do things for enjoyment' with?" Mindy asked her sarcastically, a dry expression on her face.

"You mean like the time he put Buster in the dryer?"

"Yeah... or the time he put a thumb tack in Mable's food." Mindy and Penny both shared a brief chuckle, but felt a little guilty that they were laughing at both Sam, who apparently could not take care of a dog to save his life, and the dogs that had been tormented by him. "What's the name of the victim this time?" Mindy asked.

"The dog?"

Mindy sighed annoyedly, "No, the walrus on palm beach. Yes, the dog!"

"Auger... I think." Penny sounded unsure. To no surprise, she opened her sleek black phone and began keying in letters on it.

A few more moments of the lazy Thursday evening strolled along until a jet black Buick, strangely resembling a hearse, pulled up to the foot of the yard. Bolt quickly rose to his feet and growled lowly. He slowly stepped down onto the front sidewalk and firmly planted his paws onto the rough concrete, his gaze at the black car on the other end of the sidewalk was intimidating, if not paralyzing.

A short man wearing a suit stepped out of the car and began to trek up the sidewalk toward the house. Bolt let out three barks, trying to intimidate the stranger. Mittens was startled awake by Bolt's yelling, "Back away from Penny, stranger... or else!" Mittens, after regaining her composure, eyed the man approaching the house and then Penny and Mindy, who were calling for Mom. She rolled her eyes and yelled, "I don't think your girlfriend's Dad is gonna hurt you, Bolt! Calm down!" Bolt, of course, did not listen, and continued barking until Paul knelt down onto one knee in front of Bolt, "It's okay, buddy." He very slowly held out a hand, palm down and fingers apart, and put it in front of the white shepherd's face. Bolt sniffed it a couple of times and then put his head underneath it, wanting Paul to pet it, which Paul graciously did.

"Hello, handsome man!" Paul lifted his head from the adorable white dog to see Emily standing on the front porch before him. "He's a cutie, ain't he?" Emily asked with a cheerful smile on her face. Paul smiled and rose to his feet, "Almost as cute as you." He confidently retorted. Emily let out a short giggle before speaking, "Oh, that is so sweet! That's why I wanted to help you find a dog you can train for the dog show."

Paul's eyes widened; he did not expect this, "Really? You will?"

"Of course I will... because I really felt like we connected when we dated. It's the least I could do." Paul smiled in response as they both made their way to the car.

Paul cranked the engine once and it hiccuped and stalled. "Ugh! Come on, girl. You can do it." Paul spoke to his car as if it were a brouther or sister. He cranked the engine once more and it fired, "Phew!" Paul exclaimed, "Yeah, she's old. May be getting near time to put her down and find a new one." Emily didn't know the first thing about cars, and therefore changed the subject, "So, Paul... do you know of any places that sell pre-trained dogs? Or cheap, smart ones?"

"No, I do not... but I know just about every commercial business in this town that sells dogs. I have to... I own a dog-training business... part of my job. We'll try one of those." Paul mashed the gas and the old Buick station wagon rushed down the road.

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Penny and Emily thoroughly searched the dog shelters and pet stores of downtown Poplar Bluff for the remainder of the evening. They only found three places that actually sold pre-trained dogs, but all of them at prices that were through the roof. All the other places, such as shelters, pounds, and rescue facilities, all sold normal, untrained dogs or rescued strays. After a good three and a half hours of searching, dusk had arrived. Paul's frustration began to show as he entered the last pet shop in town, Calvin's Furry Friends.

Paul walked in the glass doors, Emily alongside, approached the front desk and rang the bell placed atop it to get the clerk's attention. An orange-haired clerk walked out from a room behind the desk, inside which a chorus of barks and meows could be heard. The orange-haired clerk looked rather stressed and tired, and his curly hair was a frizzy mess.

"My name's Calvin. How may I help you?" He asked, trying to keep a smile on his face. Calvin eyed Paul, a strange look on his face as he did.

"Yes, we are looking for a pre-trained male dog." Emily said politely.

Calvin rested his chin on his palm in thought, biting his finger as he was continuing to stare at Paul. Paul was beginning to feel a little uneasy at this and shrugged his shoulders. Calvin turned to face Emily, "Is that right? Well... I don't believe I have any trained dogs at the moment, but if you follow me around back I can show you some of the classier breeds I have." The cashier let out the words without a stutter, as if he'd had to answer this question several times before.

Paul finally spoke up, "No, Calvin. Don't bother."

Calvin had already turned around to lead Paul and Emily to the back room, and at Paul's comment he turned around and uneasily responded, "Hello, Paul... been a while, hasn't it?" For a moment, Paul thought he had finished and was about to speak until Calvin sarcastically commented, "Wow, you've grown!"

"Don't play games with me, Cal! I am frustrated enough! I just want you to know something..." Paul stepped onto the footstool placed conveniently adjacent to the front counter, increasing his height. He leaned over the counter so his face was less than a foot from Calvin's. His hands were folded neatly together atop the counter, and his face held an obviously-sarcastic smile. He grit his teeth as he began to speak, "Cal... do you realize exactly what happens when my male isn't trained? Oh, that's right... you don't. When my male is not trained, my female gives birth to what I like to call a 50/50 dog. The male's dominant genes, which does _not_ include the acquired traits such as obedience training, poison my Isabel's recessive genes. You know the more popular word for a 50/50 dog? A MUTT!!! Both I and Isabel agree, a mutt isn't good enough." His hands, which were once placed neatly on the counter, were now shaking in anger and tightly gripping the collar of Calvin's shirt. He tugged once so Calvin's face was almost touching his own. Calvin's face held a look of both confusion and terror and found himself at a loss for words, "I guess not even the state's greatest dog trainer's dogs can be perfect, huh?" Paul breathed sarcastically, a somewhat sadistic smile upon his visage, eyes piercing into Calvin.

Finally, Emily tugged on Paul's shoulder, "Let it go, Paul. We did our best. And taking your anger out on Calvin isn't gonna solve anything." Paul loosened his grip and dropped his head in embarassment, "I'm... I'm sorry, honey. I really have no idea what came over me."

"It happens." Emily added, rubbing Paul's back with her right hand.

"Emily... I... I think I'm just gonna call it a day." He reached into his back pocket and handed her a twenty dollar bill, "Get yourself some dinner... but I'm just... I have to go home." Paul sounded very sincere, as if it pained him to say it.

"It's okay. I understand." She replied, sounding content with it. They began to walk out of the building through the glass doors, and as they did Calvin could've sworn he saw Paul discreetly give him the finger.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Paul drove his old car to his house on the edge of the forest, almost manhandling the car, speeding up the rocky driveway. He slammed the car door shut and stormed into the house. Isabel was waiting for him next to her food bowl, still as stone staring at him. Paul sighed, "You want food, Izzy?" He dragged himself to the refrigerator placed no more than ten feet from the front door, took out a container of chicken salad, removed the lid, sniffed it to make sure it was still edible, and tossed the full container at Isabel's food bowl. He missed, and chicken salad now covered the kitchen floor. It was not like Paul gave a damn, though... Isabel would clean it up.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"What happened, Mom?" Penny asked upon seeing her mother's expression.

"Oh... Paul got a little frustrated and... well, it's nothing. I'm sure it'll pass." Emily walked casually off into the dining room and toward her room.

Bolt had been watching television from the couch, laying against Penny pretty much since Mom had left. Mittens and Rhino were on the opposite end of the couch, and had fallen asleep a while ago.

Bolt continued to think about Isabel. Though it was getting vague, the image of her still lived in his mind. He could think of nothing else, and given that Mom was a little disappointed in Paul, it wouldn't be as much of a taste of what's to come as it would be as good as it's gonna get. And, not a moment too late, he saw her again. The commercial aired again. It was a time like this that Bolt wished he could freeze frame... her shining sapphire-azure eyes, her golden fur shimmering beneath the lights, her smile, classy yet overwhelmingly attractive. Though he tried to deny it, he figured that this might just be the closest he would come to meeting her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Paul fell onto his soft bed, thinking out loud, "There has to be a way I can get a trained dog! But... how? What if... what if I simply 'borrowed' one and returned it after Isabel got pregnant?" A greedy smile began to tug at his mouth. "Or... what if one of those trained purebred dogs just somehow went missing? Naah, I can't do that... they'd catch me for sure. Those places have more surveillance cameras than a classified military operation. Isabel began barking from outside Paul's door. Paul groaned and lifted himself out of bed to open the door as Isabel continued to bark, "Pipe down, girl! You're as jumpy on me as..." He paused as he opened the door. He glanced at his dog as she relaxed at the end of Paul's bed where a special dog bed was made for her. He then slowly and softly completed his sentence, "...Bolt."

The sudden inspiration manifested it's way into him like a tapeworm. The name spilled forth from him like whiskey into a shot glass. The deed was to be done.... tonight...


	6. The Pursuit

Meh... started this one later this week than I would've hoped because my sleep schedule has been off due to Spring break. But, I'm back now and ready to start speeding this up.

So... what is this deed Paul has? If you haven't read the first one, then you probably already have ideas of what he has in mind. If you have, then you know what's coming. This was the longest chapter thus far in the first version... probably will be no different this time. Let's begin!

VI: The Pursuit

Bolt was lying down inside a fuzzy indoor doghouse. It was nearing 11pm and Bolt was all but ready to fall asleep. It seemed to be the opposite end of the spectrum for Rhino, who was watching some sci-fi thriller on TV, "This is redonklous! You can totally see the wires!" he yelled.

Penny came into the living room, grabbed Rhino and his ball, and began to make hew way toward Emily's room, which caused Rhino to throw a fit, "No, wait! They were just about to show who created the virus! I wanted to see if I predicted right!" Bolt chuckled as he overheard Rhino yelling. Meanwhile, Mittens pranced over to Bolt's 'house' and started up a conversation..

"Heh. You just can't get that guy away from the TV." She started.

"Yeah, but if you ever watch him as Penny or Mom puts him in his house at night, he's asleep in a heartbeat." Bolt responded.

Mittens shared a laugh with him before asking the next thing that came to mind, "So, how's that girl hunt going?"

The smile on Bolt's face quickly faded. He closed his eyes and sighed, "Oh... I dunno, Mittens. I heard Mom say that the person was a little... well... angry tonight. She wasn't too happy. I would not be surprised if she doesn't take him out anymore."

"Well... first off, sometimes girls like it when a guy is aggressive sometimes. It makes the girl more confident that they have a man that can protect them. Secondly, I heard her talking on the phone with him earlier. She scheduled another date with him for next week."

"Really?" Bolt's ears perked up at the news, and the nerves returned. "You mean... I might still meet her?"

"Yeah. I am pretty convinced she likes him." Mittens winked at Bolt and then proceeded to prance away. "Likes him?" Bolt asked himself under his breath. He turned his head to face Emily, who was on the couch watching TV. She looked neither happy nor sad. A peculiar indifference for such a strange evening. There was obviously some sort of connection beginning to form between the two, despite Paul's bad day. Perhaps there was hope after all.

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The clock read 2:48 am and everyone inside the cozy Wallace home was soundly asleep. Outside, on the other hand, was much more active. The same black car drove up to the foot of the frontyard, right to the edge of the grass, and sputtered before shutting off. The door to the car quietly opened, and Paul cringed when he his car emitted a tone. He quickly escaped his car and closed the door. Relieved that nobody heard him, he took two steps down the front sidewalk before stopping himself,

"Wait... this is too easy..." He said to himself. Paul stood there for a moment, trying to think of something, when an idea suddenly popped into his head. He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, took a puff, and blew the smoke downward toward the sidewalk two feet in front of him. To no surprise, this revealed a very dim array of lasers lined up parallel to the house, "Damn! Burglar detection. Wonderful... if only I could somehow confuse it."

Paul searched his pockets for anything he could use to confuse the lasers. He pulled out a large, frameless, two-sided mirror with a handle on the back and reached out his hand carefully to see which way the mirror would deflect the laser. When the mirror was inserted into the field of lasers, it deflected them back to the left. He crouched down, positioned the mirror carefully beside his ankle and shuffled forward.

It took a minute or two for him to clear the laser field at his cautious speed. Upon reaching the end of his risky journey, he stood up, shoved the mirror back into the pocket of his black trenchcoat, tapped his black slippers on the ground, and adjusted his black hat, looking back at the field of lasers and then toward the Wallace house.

"Just across the pit of snakes..." He planted a foot firmly on the front porch and continued, "...lies a promised land." He began to trek across the porch toward the front door until he heard a whirring noise, similar to the noise a fish tank filter makes. He froze before daring to touch the door, and followed the noise with his eyes to find a white box placed on the side of the house, "Damn! These people are damn serious about burglars! Once I touch the house, it will recognize me as an intruder, won't it? Better fix that..." He was too short to reach the box himself, so he looked around until he found a large plastic bucket on the other end of the porch. He grabbed the bucket and placed it close enough to the wall so he could step onto it and not touch the house. It worked, and he could now see the white box a little closer. On the white box were a few buttons, a green light indicating it was on, and a red display screen, which lighter red digital text scrolled across, 'Your local time is 02:57, HomeSafe Intruder Detection System operating functionally. No known threats detected.' Nothing useful to Paul, of course.

Paul searched around the white box until he found something that was a sight for sore eyes; something he could use against the home that seemed to be fighting a very evenly matched battle with him. The warning on the right side of the box read, 'Do not expose this device control panel to excessive smoke'. Paul pulled out a packet of matches and lit using his rough black jeans. He stared at the flame in front of his face, "Looks like I've got a time limint." He pulled out a cigar, lit it using the match, and then blew out the match. He held the cigar over a metal ledge on the porch directly underneath the white control panel box, and waited.

After a minute or so of waiting, the green light on the box shut off, and a yellow one adjacent lit up. The text that had been scrolling across immediately changed, 'Error receiving HomeSafe Intruder Detection System signal to activate DNA TouchScan Sensors. Failed to activate DNA TouchScan. Sensors jamming...' Paul placed the cigar on the ledge as the yellow light switched off and the red one switched on.

"B-I-N-G-O was his name-o!" Paul breathed to himself, pumping his fist. He found the door unlocked... a huge surprise considering the brilliant burglar detection the house had installed.

Paul quickly and quietly entered the house to find both Penny asleep on the couch and Bolt sleeping in his doghouse, Three's Company on TV providing the only light in the living room, and from what Paul could see, the entire house, as the small foyer was almost pitch black. Paul quietly opened the door, but almost jumped in fear when he heard the front door creak closed behind him. "Shhh!" He told the door as if it would listen. He began to be thankful for the fact he was wearing slippers and, therefore, not making excessive noise as he snuck across the wooden floors.

He spotted the handle on the top of Bolt's doghouse; his target. He continued his pursuit by sneaking into the room, praying that he would not wake Penny as he trekked across the living room. Paul was now a mere three feet from the doghouse and the dog that was going to win him the state dog show. He just could not hold it back, "And B-O-L-T was _his_ name-o!" For a split second, he was kicking himself, as Bolt stirred. He gasped and quietly jumped back as Bolt moved his head in his doghouse. Paul chuckled; he thought he had been caught, but all Bolt did was make things easier.

Paul did not hesitate now to reach out a quivering hand and grab the entire doghouse. He darted away, trying to keep Bolt asleep by making very slow and flowing movements.... until he stepped on Mittens's tail upon re-entering the foyer. Mittens wailed in pain and Paul nearly jumped and dropped the doghouse. Bolt woke up almost immediately, but almost dazed from his sleep. He looked around. It took him a moment to realize that he was moving and leaving the house. He didn't think to escape, as that might only make things worse, so he did the only thing he could, "Help! Penny, Mittens, someone! Help me!" Penny heard Bolt barking and shot up out of bed. She turned on a light and ran toward the front door to see a man dressed in black running down the front sidewalk. The burglar alarm went off, "Dammit!" Paul yelled in fear and frustration as he dug around in his pockets.

Penny panicked a little and ran back toward the couch. She reached underneath it and pulled out a silver softball bat from underneath, and then immediately ran back toward the front of the house. She heard a door slam from outside and she heard Bolt barking from inside the vehicle at the foot of the yard, "No! Get back here with my dog!" Penny yelled as she opened the front door and began to run down the front sidewalk. Paul tossed Bolt and the fuzzy doghouse into the backseat, then he cranked the engine, and it miraculously started on the first try. He gave a little cry of glee and mashed the gas just as Penny was getting close. Penny never got a clear sight of the car, but she could hear Bolt's barking fade away as the car sped off down the country road.

Bolt slid back and forth in the slippery leather backseat of Paul's car. He found himself struggling to keep on all fours in the darkness. There was no way of telling where he was going or who's car he was in, or even what was going on, but he was holding on for dear life. Paul's impulsive braking when he came to a red light or stop sign would cause Bolt to fall into the leg room and against the back of the front seat, and right as he would recover, the car's strong torque would slam him against the leather seatback. This was nothing like riding in Penny's lap on the open freeway; Emily was a much calmer driver, and Bolt always knew exactly where he was.

After what felt like an eternity of bumps and bangs, the car finally came to a stop. Bolt crouched down in the seat, letting out a quiet, pathetic whimper, quivering with fear. Outside the window, Bolt could see the tops of oak trees. He heard the car's shifter grind into gear and the keys jingle at the driver's touch. The rumbling of the engine died down and the driver's door swung open.

Bolt saw the black figure walk with haste up to the right side back door and heard it pop the handle... but it jammed. The figure struggled to open it, jerking the handle a few more times. Bolt ducked his head and closed his eyes, covering them with his paws, and praying that this was all a bad dream. After a few moments, the handle broke off the door and the figure cursed and screamed loudly. He slammed the broken handle down onto the pavement in frustration before looking back in the car window to see the dog's head hidden underneath his paws, "I'll be back in a minute. I need to replace the door handle."

Bolt recognized the figure's voice. This was Paul's car... which means he was at Paul's house... which means... Before Bolt's train of thought could continue, coincidence and fate seemed to continue it for him in the form of a scent inside of the car. He slinked around in the darkness, still unable to see, using his keen nose to guide him around what little room he had. He looked up, and it was then he realized that he wasn't in the actual rear of the car, though he was in the backseat. The very dim light of the moon, hidden by clouds, showed through the windows, and he could see another window beyond the one that corresponds to the seat he was in...

He rose to his feet to get a better look, "Is this a...?" Bolt whispered to himself. "Station wagon? Yes, it is." A soft, female voice completed for him, causing him to immediately crouch back down in terror. Though he was obviously afraid, this voice beckoned him that it was alright. It was not a nasally, annoying voice like Paul's. This was a sweet, soft voice; one of aid and compassion, reason and comfort. "Is this... am I..." Bolt began while panting heavily, at a bit of a loss for words, "Am I in heaven?" He completed after a deep breath to get his thoughts organized. "Are you an angel?" He asked, dumbfounded, scanning around the car with his eyes to hope that he'd see something... any sign of life that was not him.

It wasn't three seconds later that a considerably large figure, concealed by the darkness of the car, leaped with great precision and smoothness over the seatback from the back of the car to the seat Bolt was in. Bolt jumped back, startled, and sank down to paw level, staring the figure into what he made out as its eyes. Confirming this, they shimmered with a blue tint as he sank down... a hypnotic blue. In a sense, Bolt knew exactly who this was, but he was too awkward, too shy, and too afraid to even dare place the name.

The American Shepherd, quaking with fear now, again found himself at a loss for words, "How did... what... where did... who is...? AAGH!!" Bolt screamed out, both frustrated and mortified by this embarrassing fear. He prayed that this was not who he knew it was, hiding his head underneath his paws again.

To Bolt's surprise, the figure did not attack, or even intimidate him, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare ya. I just get a little excited when I get around new friends." Friends?! Bolt wondered how a shadowy figure who leaps athletically over the seatback to scare the daylights out of him could offer to be his friend, and didn't have to think twice before denying the offer... in his mind, of course... he had at this point either lost the courage to speak or could not find his voice to make out any words.

It wasn't long before the figure sank down to paw level, just as Bolt was. Bolt remained silent, and obviously unaware of this. Only the sound of his ragged, terror-filled breaths could be heard. A light turned on from the house, and Isabel spoke up, "Paul is coming back, guy. Aren't you gonna show me your face?"

"Why... why do you want to see it?" Bolt inquired, trying to sound brave. Isabel sighed, "Understood. Paul can be a real jackass sometimes, can't he? I completely understand why you're so shaken up... but I guarantee you, you will be okay as long as I'm around." Bolt's shaking and shivering stopped almost at an instant. Keeping his head between his paws and his voice hushed, he thought for a moment that maybe he should listen to this voice of reason and not his fear.

Maybe some good would come out of this after all. He wasn't going to find out by keeping his head there, but everything seemed to be very peaceful for the waning moments. The soft, warm breath of the female next to him ruffled the fur on his forepaws and there was complete silence.

The white dog slowly lifted himself, eyes closed, from the cowering position he was in and tried to look bold and tough to make up for the terrible display he had just shown this female, but when he opened his eyes...

Bolt gasped and jumped back, hitting his head against the car door and staggering to keep himself balanced on his backside, "You! You.... you're.... that dog!" Bolt had just completely humiliated himself in front of her twice now, and in his mind he was kicking himself repeatedly for it. "Yep, you bet! Isabel, pleasure to meet you... Bolt, is it?"

"You... you know my name? ...How?" Bolt asked, still finding himself star struck and all but pinned up against the car door.

Isabel giggled at Bolt's shyness as she continued, "The superdog! You had that show where you saved all those people and that girl! Paul watches it all the time."

Bolt's face held an unsure look, not necessarily unsure of the answer, but more unsure if this was reality or dream land... unsure about this whole situation he now found himself in, "Y—yes. But you... Isabel... am I dreaming or something? I mean... you're famous and I'm..."

Isabel laughed a little, "You are just too cute!" She placed herself right in front of his face, Bolt looked her in the eye, but turned his head away out of instinct, "I think we're gonna get along fine."

"You... you think I'm cute?" Bolt asked her, blushing heavily as she retreated back to the spot she was sitting at. "You're not stuck up at all, are you?"

Before Isabel could respond, a power drill interrupted their conversation. Paul's voice raised over the sound of the drill, "Sorry, guys! Just fixing the handle! I'll bring you two inside in a second so you can have your time to get to know each other and whatnot." Bolt did not like the looks of this guy. Bolt wasn't quite as close to the door as he was, and could see black clouds seem to cover the sky behind him. The drill shut off and the two dogs began to hear rain pelting the roof of the Buick.

"Isabel... why am I here?" Bolt asked, cocking his head to the side and seeming a lot more comfortable than he was a few minutes ago.

"Well... it's complicated. Master's gotta have his purebred puppets to play around with." Isabel rolled her eyes as she spoke.

"Purebred...?" Before Bolt could continue, the door opened and Paul took Bolt in his arms and began to walk toward the front door with the golden husky in tow. Bolt's original instinct to run had vanished. He was now with the girl of his dreams, and had no arguments at reversing it for the time being.


	7. Fate's Magic

Sorry for the wait. My beta reader (author of Bolt 2.0) has been busy and unable to help me, so I had to find a couple of others. Anyways, some slight changes to this chapter... nothing real major. Let's begin!

**VII: Fate's Magic**

It was the darkest hour of what was now the darkest night at the Wallace House. The rain had just began to fall, and the small family was in panic. After the black car had pulled away, Mittens immediately ran toward Emily's room in desperation to alert Rhino of what had happened. She slammed into Rhino's cage to save her the trouble of waking him up. "Sheriff! Sheriff! Don't shoot the innkeeper!!!" Rhino screamed as he awoke. "Rhino! Bolt's been kidnapped!" Mittens announced with no hesitation.

"What?! NO!!! Bolt!!!" Rhino yelled and immediately followed with hysterical sobbing.

"GET A GRIP!! This is serious! We have no time to grieve!" Rhino sniffled a couple of times before responding, "Who would kidnap Bolt? He's be-awesome!"

"I don't know... but we need to find out quick." Mittens responded, tears now filling her eyes as well. "How are we gonna do that, though?"

"You're right! Bolt's gonna need help! We only have one chance.... I'll call the air force, you round up the A-team!!!" Rhino hopped out of his cage from the opening between the two bars and began running toward his exercise wheel when Mittens stopped him, "Rhino. We're all we got in this. Maybe Penny and Mom will help, but you know they can't understand us. Technology hasn't come that far yet." She sniffled once, "We're just gonna have to hope for the best."

"Alright, so what do we do? Bolt is too awesome to die on us."

"He won't. If there is anything that person wanted, it surely won't involve Bolt's death. I doubt his blood will spill."

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The rain was pouring down as the blackness of the neighbourhood was now flickering blue and red from the lights of a state trooper pulling up to the front of the Wallace house. Emily walked down the sidewalk with a very grim look on her face, Penny alongside her.

"Penny, did you see what happened?" Emily asked her daughter. Penny just shrugged in response. The police officer rolled down the driver's side window of the car as the two approached. There was a brief silence before the officer began with his slight southern accent,

"We received a signal of an attempted break-in. We tried to call you, but there was no answer. Is everything alright?" The officer had a brown stubble accompanied by a bushy moustache. His eyes were covered by a pair of sunglasses and his face was round and beefy.

"Well, _we_ are... but I think he stole something from us." Penny began.

Emily looked a bit uneasy at this, "He did? What did he steal, honey?"

Penny sighed and faced the officer, "Well, I woke up to hear Mittens yowling, Bolt barking, and some footsteps. I also noticed Bolt's doghouse was missing and that his barking was growing quieter and quieter. Whoever it was, I think they took Bolt."

Emily sighed in response. She had a feeling.

"Animal robbery is a serious crime in these parts after that big one we had last year. We will do everything we can."

It wasn't two minutes later that three police vehicles had pulled into the Wallace driveway to investigate the scene. Emily and Penny were both dejected and sat on the front porch swing as the officers did their work. The same officer that had talked to them in the state trooper vehicle approached, his boots making his steps very loud and heavy.

"Ma'am?" The same officer asked, very sternly.

"Yes, officer?" She responded.

"All that could be found was this." He held up a half-smoked cigar. "We believe the he used the smoke from this to disable the burglar alarm. We found it on a ledge just underneath the control box. It jammed the touch sensors. The robber was also apparently very smart, and did not leave any biological evidence on it as well, meaning he must've used gloves or the like" Emily sighed and got up from her chair and looked the officer in the eye, "Do you know _anything_?"

The officer shook his head, "The only evidence we have is the cigar's brand name and how much of the cigarette had been smoked before we arrived, which tells us exactly when it was lit."

Both Emily and Penny were more than dejected now, Penny much more so than Emily; Bolt was her companion; her best friend. She wanted to refuse this harsh revelation that Bolt had been kidnapped, but reality told her that there was absolutely no way that it was logical. Her best friend's fate was in someone else's hands now. Tears filled her eyes as she sorrowfully left the scene, reentering the house.

Emily and the officer strutted down toward the state trooper's car, both remaining completely silent until the officer reentered his white Impala.

"Well, thank you for your help, officer. We--"

"Joe."

"What?" Emily responded. She knew what he meant, but did not expect it.

"My name is Joe." He removed his sunglasses. "Joe Allen, state trooper. And I wanted to ask, your daughter looks familiar... isn't she...?"

"Penny from Bolt the Superdog? Yeah, she is." Emily smiled, a little surprised this came up.

"Really?" Joe asked, then followed up with a smile and a comment, "Bolt the Superdog? Gone missing?" He sounded amazed, but his eyes were fixed on Emily's smiling face the whole time. Despite the whole situation, Emily seemed to be holding up pretty well. Joe's stern look reappeared, "We will do everything we can to find your missing dog, ma'am."

"I have one final question for you, Emily... that is your name, right?"

Emily was rather stunned that he had guessed correctly, but figured he'd heard it somewhere. "Yes, it is."

"Is there anyone you suspect of stealing Bolt? Relatives? Wannabe visitors constantly wanting your autographs? Anyone at all?"

Emily contorted her mouth in deep thought and responded, "No.... I can't think of any."

Paul reached into his uniform pocket and pulled out a card, handing it over to Emily, "Well, if you find out anything, give me a call." He smiled at her once more.

"We will, and thank you." Emily answered.

"Don't mention it..." He put his sunglasses back on, "...Emily." and the cars immediately began to disperse on that note. They vanished into the mist shadowed by the blanket of night as the rain continued to fall, soaking the rain jacket Emily was wearing. Emily studied the card that Joe had handed him, and noticed that blue ink was bleeding through onto the front. She turned it over and read a note handwritten onto the back of it, 'If you want, we can go out sometime.' followed by his name and phone number. Emily was flattered and smiled at it, then she remembered that she was taken at the moment, she hung her head and sighed in disapproval, "I'm sorry, Joe."

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No sun rose in this new home of Bolt's. Little did it matter, Bolt could not tell night from day at this point. Images of the Wallace family he had now lost filled his brain, blurring out his sense of time. Despite this, when the smell of bacon cooking in the kitchen hit his nose, his stomach growled. No dog could resist the delicious scent of bacon. He flared his nose a couple of times, getting a good whiff of the air before trotting off to the kitchen, mouth watering in anticipation of the delicious meal that awaited him, letting his nose lead him to the tantalizing aroma.

The scent grew stronger as he entered the kitchen. Bolt could see Paul standing in front of the stove, making breakfast, "Hey, Bolt. Breakfast will be ready shortly." Paul didn't have much emotion in his voice, but Bolt's growling stomach drove his attention away from Paul's voice. Bolt sat patiently, flaring his nose in hungry anticipation, savouring the smell.

"EW!!!" Isabel yelled, causing Bolt to quickly swing his head to the side. He saw a look of disgust and shock on Isabel's face, "You drool? _You_? A purebred?" Bolt almost immediately looked down and wiped his muzzle with his paw, and that's when he realized he really had been drooling. A small puddle lie underneath him on the floor and his paw now had some saliva on it. He sighed, embarrassed as hell now. "Uh..." was all he could say.

"Look... it's okay. Sorry for freaking out. Just watch me." Isabel encouraged him, knowing how bad he just embarrassed himself. Bolt licked away the saliva from his lips and watched her as she sat down and looked up, standing still as stone with seemingly no expression on her face.

"Good girl, Izzy!" Paul said, tossing her a strip of bacon, which she caught in her mouth. Bolt licked his chops again as he watched her devour the bacon... he didn't want to humiliate himself again. He did as Isabel demonstrated, straightened his back and looked up at Paul. He did, however, not realize that the 'dog face' had become second nature to him, and gave the cute little stare to Paul, who could not help but smile as he turned around again, "Bolt... you are just too cute!" He tossed him a strip of bacon as well and Bolt devoured it hastily.

Paul did give them their real breakfast some moments later, leaving the remaining bacon to himself as he poured dog food into bowls and placed it out for them. Isabel and Bolt were silent all throughout breakfast.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After breakfast, Bolt isolated himself once again. He laid down on the dog bed underneath the front window in the living room. He was even more lost now... Isabel only liked him because she believed that he was a purebred. He knew it, but he didn't want to talk to her about it... she would dump him in a heartbeat. Isabel approached, and Bolt sighed. He didn't know what she was going to say and did not look forward to finding out.

"Um... I just wanted to say... sorry for all this. Paul has been growing more and more obsessed with that dog show that he doesn't even spend time with me much anymore." Isabel sounded pretty sincere, much to Bolt's relief.

"But... why did he take me? I had a life at my house and I didn't want to give it up! I had someone who loved me and cared for me and now it's all taken away." Tears touched Bolt's eyes, but he held them back.

"Your Master loves you, Bolt... be glad you have that. Now, I really can't say why Master wanted you... but I will say he wanted your genes."

"My genes?"

"Yeah, but that's all I can say now." She finished and began to depart. Bolt thought about what she said, but could not make sense of it.


	8. The Task at Hand

I'm trying my best to speed this one up. I am really eager to begin working on a novel I have planned over on FictionPress. I'll talk more about this later. For now, we'll start on my new chapter 8 (formerly chapter 7). I'm trying to integrate the choice between Penny and Isabel into Bolt's dilemma, as well as extend the amount of time it takes for this story to reach it's conclusion (originally 3 days from chapters 5 through 15). Given that, this chapter may undergo the most severe changes from the original thus far. This one is about Bolt's dilemma; choosing between his love for Isabel or his love for Penny, as well as admitting his love for Isabel. Also, Joe gets a call from Emily... but what about? Let's begin!

**VIII: The Task at Hand**

It had now been almost sixteen hours since Bolt had been kidnapped. The sun was beginning to set, yet it was completely blocked by rainclouds. Bolt entered Paul's bedroom to find a sleeping Isabel on a special bed made just for her at the foot of Paul's. Bolt drew a ragged breath and looked over everything that lay in front of him. Isabel thought he was a purebred, and obviously she was hiding something from him. He loved her with all his heart and he felt like screaming it out to the world, but he also loved Penny and could not bare the thought of losing her.

Bolt figured he would just do things one at a time, starting with getting to the bottom of what was going on... what Isabel was hiding. He drew a deep breath and approached her sleeping body. Bolt's mind was clouded with emotion now; she was beautiful, but exactly how was he going to win her? He would have to give up so many things, including a part himself in a sense; pretending to be a purebred would take that away from him.

He opened his mouth and began to speak, "Isabel. You awake?"

Isabel responded with a tired groan. She began to stretch, yawning widely, "Yeah, I'm up." She smiled, turning to face him.

"Yeah, well... I wanted to ask you. Why am I here? Why me, Isabel?" Bolt sounded very serious, determined to get to the bottom of it.

Isabel almost jumped to her feet when she heard this, "Oh... well... I can't say it, Bolt. It's just..."

"Isabel... you can tell me anything. I encourage you to. I don't care what it is, I just want to know." Bolt replied sincerely. He was smiling now, trying to encourage her that it was okay for her to say what she wanted.

"Well... to put it bluntly, he wants puppies." Isabel rushed through the sentence so quickly that Bolt could barely understand.

He thought about it for a second, then his eyes widened, "Does that mean....?" A blush began to appear on his face... and Isabel noted this.

Isabel smiled now, much to Bolt's surprise, "He wants you to be my mate, Bolt."

Bolt had to keep himself from one of the two extremes; running far away or celebrating. His blush grew to astronomical levels, but he could only respond nervously, "Uh... thank you for telling me."

Isabel continued, "He has become so selfish and so lost in his desire to win the dog show that he would do desperate things. He wanted a trained purebred dog to be my mate, because he knew that I wouldn't be caught dead with a mutt, and he knew that he would get a mutt if I mated a mutt. Your Owner was the answer to his prayers." Isabel let the words out clearly and unbroken, despite the fact that she was horribly embarrassed bringing it up.

"So... he wants us to mate so he can train our puppies in two months?" Bolt cocked his head to the side, curious as to how he could do that.

"I am just as puzzled as you are..." Isabel smiled.

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The happy attitude which usually permeated the atmosphere of the Wallace house was absent today. Emily had been up all night and day since the incident earlier, as had Penny. Emily had been calling animal shelters, police stations, and even interrupting the sleep of her friends from town for quite a large chunk of the morning and afternoon, all to no avail..

"Any luck, mom?" A sullen Penny asked.

Emily sighed, "Nope. Not a shred of it. I've called everyone..."

"Even Paul?" Penny asked, her eyes wide with surprise that nobody knew a thing.

"Actually, no. I know he asked me not to call today, but... you know, I wonder...." Emily said to herself, starting to question Paul's sincerity.

Penny placed a hand on her mom's shoulder, "You call Paul. I am going to the library to make fliers."

Emily hugged her daughter, "I'm sure he'll turn up soon." Penny smiled half-heartedly and embraced her mom for a moment before leaving.

Emily was about to pick up the phone to call Paul, when it began ringing. She took a brief look at the caller ID before chuckling, "Heh... good timing." She pressed the talk button and then placed the phone against her ear, "Paul?"

"Hey, Emily. How are you doing?" Paul asked her, sounding pretty sincere.

She was unsure how to answer that. She did not want to disappoint Paul, "Yeah... I'm alright." She lied, "I was just about to call you when you called."

"Wow. Heh, that's kinda funny. Anyways, you say you're alright? Well, what about Bolt?" Paul inquired.

Emily was taken aback, "You knew?"

"Yeah, I have a friend who works at the police station who had to file the report early this morning."

"Who? Joe Allen?"

"Joe Allen? Not him, no... Joe is a royal prick, excuse the language please. His name is... er... Kevin West."

"Aha. Well, if you pray, please pray Bolt is safe and sound." Emily asked him, her voice as soft as a kitten.

"Will do, Emily. I'm sure Bolt is just fine." Paul encouraged, "I will see you Wednesday, correct?"

"Correct, granted nothing comes up."

"Of course. Well, I'd better get going. Bye!"

"Goodbye."

There was the click of the receiver, followed by silence. Emily leaned against the wall and put her head in her hands, thinking of anyone else she could call. It was then that she remembered Joe. "Joe... maybe he found something." She breathed to herself. She reached into the pocked of the coat hanging next to her and pulled out the card Joe had handed her. She grabbed the phone off the hook and dialed the number.

Joe was just about to leave for work when his phone rang. He lifted the receiver from the hook and checked the caller ID. He was taken aback when he saw it, but smiled, and then answered, "Hello?"

"Joe?" Emily questioned.

"Emily! You called me back!" Joe exclaimed.

"Yep. I wanted to see if you knew anything about Bolt yet."

Joe sighed when he heard this, "No... I haven't. But if I do, I will surely let you know."

"Hmm.... does Kevin West know anything?" Emily asked, glad that she remembered the name.

"Kevin West?" Joe asked, sounding dumbfounded.

"Yeah. My boyfriend, Paul told me that he had to file the report on it." Emily answered. There was an awkward silence. "Joe?"

"I filed the report, so..." Joe informed, "Paul who, may I ask?"

"Paul Osmond." Emily answered.

"Interesting..." Joe sneered.

"Who is Kevin West then?" Emily asked him.

"I have worked with this station for 12 years and know everyone's name. There isn't even a Kevin, let alone a Kevin West."

"So... Paul lied?"

"Paul did more than that... I have a feeling, Emily. And I am gonna get to the bottom of it, don't you worry." The phone clicked from the other end, and a busy signal followed. Emily gently placed the phone on the receiver and receded into thought.

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After putting up the fliers, the story of the remainder of the day for Penny was simply laying on the couch, worrying about Bolt. The entire room was silent now as Penny flipped through her photo albums of Bolt in the stillness. She sighed as Emily reentered the room, looking extremely confused.

"Penny... Joe said he may be able to help us. But... I am not entirely sure how."

Penny looked up at her mom, but did not speak. She was too depressed to say anything.

"Penny..." Emily began, "I know you're worried about Bolt, but I am sure he will be alright. Remember Hollywood?" Emily asked her knowingly.

"Yes, but this is different. This time Bolt had been kidnapped!" Penny screamed at her mother, obviously out of worry more than anger. Emily kissed her daughter on the forehead, "It'll be okay." She assured her.

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It was nearing 10 p.m. Emily had been on and off the phone with Joe for the last few hours, talking about some sort of visit to Paul's house and Penny had fallen asleep on the couch, leaving Mittens and Rhino to themselves. They had been thinking about Bolt all day, worrying about what could have happened to him.

"If... if something happens to Bolt..." Mittens began, but could not bring herself to finish.

Rhino, the whole time, held a knowing smile.

"What?" Mittens questioned.

"Haven't you been listening to Emily? Joe is coming by here tomorrow morning, and then he's going to Paul's house!" Rhino informed her.

"Yeah... and?" Mittens inquired as if he wasn't going to accomplish anything.

"You know... do what Bolt taught you. Hitchhike." Rhino reminded her. Mittens thought for a moment before giving Rhino a cocky smile and a wink.

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Bolt was sitting next to Paul on the couch. His eyes may have been fixed on the television, but his mind was fixed at this dilemma. Should he leave for Penny or stay for Isabel? Should he tell Isabel how he felt or tell her the truth? The whole situation overwhelmed him. How was he even going to begin any of them? It would surely take more than willpower alone.

"What are you doing on the couch?" Isabel whispered.

Bolt had to shake himself free from the grip of his thoughts, "Watching TV." He informed her.

"On the couch? A purebred like you?" She asked sarcastically.

Bolt was again embarrassed. How could he have been so stupid as to not realize this? He slowly lifted himself up and dropped himself off the couch and to the floor, where he met a displeased look on Isabel's golden visage.

"Are you sure you are a purebred? You seem too disorganized and unorthodox to be one."

Bolt found an opportunity now to say it. He knew he had to get this off his chest, and he couldn't pass it up, "Yes. I am." Bolt could not believe had just come out of his mouth, and his jaw nearly dropped.

"Okay... if you say so." Isabel sighed. Isabel laid down against Bolt.

He could not believe this... the dog he was so in love with, now rubbing up against his flank. He had to tell her how he was feeling, this was his chance. His mouth shakily opened to speak, "Isabel..."

"Yes Bolt?" Her voice was soft and understanding, but that, for some reason, only made this more difficult for him.

Bolt drew a ragged breath and replied, "I... just wanted to thank you... for everything. Like last night when you were so calm and collected, trying to calm me down."

Isabel smiled, "Thank you, Bolt. That was really sweet."

They both smiled. Isabel began to think to herself, _"I wish I could help him find his family... and I kinda wish I could go with him."_

Bolt wanted to tell her everything, but he wished that it was easier. His burning desire to tell her he loved her, along with the pressure of keeping his purebred guise and his desire to be with Penny blurred out the tasks at hand and made it impossible to speak for the rest of the evening.

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They both awoke to several loud thuds on the door. Bolt could hear Paul's voice from the kitchen, "Dammit to hell!" Paul rushed out from the kitchen and grabbed Bolt. Bolt was still half awake, and didn't have the slightest clue what was happening. The sunrise blinded him and forced him to squint as he hung from Paul's grasp. Bolt blinked, confused, trying to clear his head from the daze. Paul began to look around in panic, "Aha!" He exclaimed in relief as he finally spotted what he was looking for. He ran to the back wall of the living room and pulled a step ladder out from against it. He climbed atop it, still holding Bolt, and stuffed Bolt into an air duct attached to the ceiling. Bolt may have been a large dog, but the air duct was pretty large to be able to contain him with no trouble. Bolt peeked out from a hole in the side of the duct and saw Paul headed for the door. He wasn't quite sure what to make of this. He opened it, and the light from the sunrise again blinded the American Shepherd, "Come on in!" Paul invited.


	9. The Man Behind the Door

I'm increasing the rate I write this as I want to finish it before the school year ends. I will try to post 2 chapters a week from here on out as I want to begin a piece of furry literature this summer on Fictionpress. I have a finished picture of Isabel up which I collabed with a friend if anyone wants to see. Send me a message if interested. I didn't quite conceal the fact that Joe is headed over to Paul's house this time as I didn't really find it that necessary, but I'm gonna keep this chapter as is for the most part. Maybe some improvements in dialogue and description, however.... as usual. Let's begin!

IX: The Man Behind the Door

"Been a while, man. Come on in! Make yourself at home!" Paul invited with a seemingly sincere smile.

"It _has _been a while." Replied a deep voice with a slight southern twang as the figure behind the door revealed himself to the interior of the house. "Been wondering what you've been up to and how little Izzy is doin'."

"Do you want some coffee, Joe?" Paul staggered around the kitchen nervously, seeking a coffee mug for Joe to use.

"Joe?" Bolt asked himself while inside the duct, still wondering what in the world was going on.

"Yes, I would. Thank you." Joe's face held a very confident expression as he spoke, watching Paul awkwardly fetch him some coffee. He stepped casually into the front doorway and slowly closed the door behind him. Paul handed Joe his cup and Joe immediately took a sip from it. He groaned and laid the cup down on the counter. "Damn. I left my bag in the car, I'll be right back."

He turned the handle on the door behind him before Paul's voice rang out, "Bags... for what?"

The cocky smirk remained painted on Joe's face, "Oh... you know. Gifts for Isabel, you know how that girl loves gifts." He gazed at Isabel who was sitting upright in the living room next to the stepladder. Her tail wagged at the mention of gifts.

"Let me get those for you." Paul offered sincerely. Joe didn't bother to overrule this, and moved out of Paul's way.

"It's in the passenger's seat, Paul." Joe informed him. Joe watched discreetly as Paul exited the house and scurried toward Paul's silver Ford. "That was too easy..." Joe whispered to himself.

Quickly, Joe began to hunt through Paul's house, starting at Paul's bedroom, checking underneath the bed and in the closet.

Bolt had been watching with great interest from the air duct, all the while Isabel had been remaining very cautious not to displease her Master, waiting until Paul left the house to start talking to Bolt from the floor below him, "Bolt! Go for the light at the end of the air duct... you will end up outside. I will meet you there." She instructed him.

Bolt did not need to respond, he wanted to get out of this cramped duct! It was small, freezing, and didn't smell too good. Bolt progressed down the narrow tunnel, toward a faint light roughly twenty feet away. Isabel, in the meantime, escaped the house while Paul continued rummaging through Paul's car for a bag that didn't exist.

Joe was now in Paul's study, scouring the piles of documents laid on and off the desk for anything that he could use against him.

Isabel trotted hurriedly to the right side of the house where Bolt would end up. This part of the house was already concealed quite a bit by the foliage of the forest, so she was hidden well and Paul could not see her. Isabel began to hear Bolt approaching the dropoff where the air duct ran down the side of the house, "Bolt. You are gonna have to fall down the air duct. You will land in the mud here."

"Fall down?! Wouldn't that hurt?" Bolt asked innocently.

"Yes. There's a dropoff. Fall bottom first so you don't break your neck.

Bolt attempted to turn himself around, but to no avail. He struggled, grunting and straining for two minutes before he finally announced, "I can't. It's too small."

Isabel rolled her eyes, "Okay then... I have good news and bad news. The bad news is you cannot jump down here now or you will break your neck. The good news is you can turn yourself around, but the air duct widens on the other side of the house. You'll have to crawl backwards till you reach it."

Bolt gave off a frustrated sigh. By the sounds of the bickering beginning to unfurl in the living room, Joe would be staying there a while. "I sure hope you're right." Bolt began to slide backwards through the air duct. Before too long, the conversation between Joe and Paul began to grow louder.

"I swear, I did not see a bag in your car that fit your definition even remotely."

"Are you sure? I know I brought it along with me."

Paul stared at him coldly, entering the living room, "I don't think there ever was a bag. You knew I'd go to get it for you. I think you have ideas."

"Come again?" Joe stated, a hint of anger muddling his southern accent.

"You knew I would go to the car to get your bag... politeness is in my nature and you know it! You did it so you could occupy me while you scour the papers in my study." He pointed at the study, whose door was opened whereas it had previously been closed and Paul had kept note of it.

"And just what would I want with the papers in there? You never keep it clean! I'm surprised you keep track of what's what. "

"You're holding a paper behind your back." Paul retorted immediately with a knowing smile. Joe wasn't all that surprised and stood still as stone as Paul took the paper from him. Paul's eyes scanned it quickly, "...You're stealing my dog show entry forms... why?" He asked, puzzled.

"Who's Skittles?" Joe asked.

"Do what now?"

"You wrote under the entrant's dog's name 'Skittles'. Who is Skittles?"

Paul fell silent.

"Exactly what kind of dog is this... 'Skittles'?"

Paul thought for a moment nervously before responding, "A cross between an American Shepherd and a Husky."

"Did you say American Shepherd?" Joe smirked sadistically.

"Yeah..." Paul was becoming even more nervous, and it was becoming evident as he stood perfectly still, peering at the air duct every so often, as Joe paced around him and continued his interrogation.

"Of course! Now it's all making sense." Joe held out his hands for emphasis, then he placed one with an index finger extended at Paul's face, "You always were a terrible liar, Paul. You always made things clear, no matter how vague they were... like an open book."

"I do not--"

"And you have written down two months for the dog's age. Now, not only does it intrigue me how you plan to train a dog that young, but it also intrigues me that the dog show you are entering is over 4 months away." Paul was nervous now. He had to work harder to defend himself against Paul's onslaught of shocking accuracy. His normally classy posture was beginning to disappear, "I am planning to find a mate for Isabel."

"I figured. The evidence is really piling together. You plan to have a trauned American Shepherd to mate with your husky, Isabel, so you can easily train the puppies?" Joe began to pace back and forth across the room.

"Yeah... but the--"

"What really interests me is that your girlfriend, Emily Wallace, just had a white American Shepherd stolen from her home two nights ago." He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. Paul was stunned when he saw it. "This cigarette was found lying underneath the Wallace family's burglar alarm control panel."

"When did you become an investigator?" Paul asked, trying to change the subject.

"I have been a member of the Poplar Bluff Police Department for two years now. Now, I don't mean to brag, but I am very good at my job." Joe stopped pacing, hearing a noise in the air duct. He turned his head toward it and then looked back at Joe, "What's that?"

"What's what?"

"That noise inside the air duct." Joe smirked at him sadistically, confidently, like he'd just found buried treasure, "Do you have rats?"

"Rats?"

"Yeah... rats. I hear them in the air duct. Mind if I take a look?"

"Don't. It's nothing. It does that all the time."

A menacing smile appeared on Joe's visage. He gave Paul a glance that told him he had figured out exactly what was going on. He turned away from Joe and casually approached the air duct. Paul dashed after him as he put one foot on the stepladder placed conveniently underneath it. Paul, out of instinct and his desire to not go to jail, knocked the stepladder out from underneath Paul's feet. Joe fell to the ground and let out a short groan of pain.

"Why the hell did you do that?! My foot!! AAAAGH!!!" He nursed his right ankle, trying to dull the pain. "You twisted my ankle, you dumbshit! And now once I go to work, _you_ are going to jail for assault of a police officer."

Paul then walked up to Joe and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. He gritted his teeth, his eyes all but glowing red as he spoke, "I don't give a crap about you or your job. I don't care how cool you think you are because you are a police officer. Not a chance in hell you're getting any evidence here. We clear?" His voice was low, a hint of wrath in it. He let go of Joe's collar and ordered him out. Joe limped out, there was nothing more he could do.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This was not Penny's greatest day. She kept herself isolated, consumed by her worry. It had now been 36 hours since Bolt had been kidnapped. Two of Penny's friends, Mindy and Mike, were over, trying to reassure their friend.

"Bolt is brave, Penny! Remember how he found his way back to you in Hollywood? That took bravery and I'm sure he'll tough this one out as well." Mike encouraged her.

"Yeah... plus he's smart. He's trained, after all. All dogs seem to know their way back home, even the dull ones, let alone a brainiac like Bolt. " Mindy added.

Despite their disposition, Penny did not sway. Without moving from the couch, she leaned over the table in front of her and stared at a picture of her and Bolt. She sighed, still depressed as she had been.

Emily entered the room with a confused look on her face, "What's wrong, Miss Wallace?" Mindy asked her, concernedly.

"Has anyone seen Mittens?" Emily began. "She was in here earlier today but now I can't seem to find her."

"Did you check the attic? She seems to hide in the attic whenever I come over." Mike informed her. Emily smiled and immediately departed for the attic.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Noises were now coming from inside the air duct. Isabel stood up at attention, "Bolt, did you turn around?"

"Yes. I turned myself around. You were right!"

"Okay, just slide off the dropoff and..."

As if on command, Bolt's footpaws found the dropoff and he pushed himself down. He slid down the tunnel to where the duct ended, and landed on his bottom in the mud with a loud splash. Isabel chuckled when Bolt found himself covered in mud. Bolt jumped to his feet and shook the mud off, slinging it everywhere, including Isabel.

"EW!!! Bolt! What are you doing?!" Isabel shouted.

Bolt stopped himself. He knew exactly what Isabel was thinking, "Uh... cleaning myself off?" He said, pretending he didn't.

"Now Master will have to give us _both_ a bath! Seriously, Bolt... that was a total lack of class!" She sneered.

Bolt's cheeks flushed red... but this time, with more frustration than humiliation, "Well... if you hate your Master so much, then why do you still follow what _he_ has taught you? Really, why?" Bolt's aggravated expression quickly changed to that of apology, though there were no sorries.

Isabel, however, did not return the expression. She actually thought about what Bolt had said. Why did she follow Master's orders, yet hate him? Why did he stoop so low as to obey and listen to him for so long? Isabel could see through Bolt's now awkward composure. He was scared. He was hiding something, but she wasn't the type to interrogate. _"Is he gay?"_ Isabel thought, then immediately discarded it. He was surely hiding something, though. Something that he was prepared to keep to himself at all costs. Something that, if exposed to her, would ruin their friendship... or, dare she think it, relationship. But, with what was about to occur, she realized how hilariously chaotic it can be when life provides answers seemingly on command.

Bolt was headed back for the house with Isabel in tow. He could not care less at this point if Isabel knew his secret or not. But before Bolt entered the doorway, he spotted something underneath Joe's car which was fired up and ready to pull out of the driveway.

Whatever it was, it was alive, as two glowing green orbs peered out from underneath the shadows, as if stalking them.

Bolt approached confidently, demanding the figure to reveal itself, "Who's there?"


	10. Until I'm Saved

Ahh, now we arrive at my 3rd favourite chapter in this story! I love the end of this one. Again, I got a picture of Isabel to show off if anyone would like to see. Now, who's under the car? Let's begin!

X: Until I'm Saved

Bolt flared his nose, trying to catch a scent to identify the creature. Isabel stood behind him, remaining cautious. Bolt crept closer to the car, claws unsheathed. The silver Ford began to pull away, but not before leaving a cloud of smog, keeping the figure concealed. "Who are you?" Bolt demanded. No answer. The smog cleared quickly to reveal the black and white face of Mittens.

Bolt could barely believe his eyes, "Mittens?! Is it really you?!"

"Well, well! Look what the cat dragged in... well... that's, of course, the reaction I create when I drag your butt home."

Bolt chuckled a bit, "What are you doing here? Where's Penny and Mom? Did you come alone?"

"Yep." Mittens answered confidently.

"How'd you get here?"

"That man with the moustache stopped by Penny's house, and I overheard them talking about you..."

"So... you decided to hitch a ride?"

"Yeah! I sure did, Bolty old buddy!" She added enthusiastically.

"Bolt. Who is this?" Isabel asked.

The excitement on Bolt's face vanished at an instant. He now looked uneasy, as if he wished he was anywhere but where he was at the moment, "Oh... this cat? Uh... I was just about to find out." He turned to Mittens and bared his teeth at her, "What's your name, cat?!"

Mittens took a few steps back, "Uh... Bolt, you feelin' alright? Because you've known me for a few months."

Isabel began to look cross. "Bolt. Are you lying to me?"

Bolt began to look even more nervous, "Of... of course not! I don't know her!"

"Then scare her off!"

"Well... why? I mean... she isn't bothering anyone."

"Bolt... she's bothering me." Isabel retorted sternly.

Bolt fell silent as Isabel looked over his shoulder and began to talk to Mittens herself, "So, Mittens... that's your name, isn't it? Do you know this dog?" Bolt cringed as he heard the question being asked.

"'Course I do! He's my best friend! Sure, he may be a mangy, slobbery mutt, but I love him anyway!" Mittens said.

Bolt wasn't sure what to think of Mittens's speech. Sure, he was flattered that Mittens complimented him, but it pretty much marked the end of he and Isabel's relationship. Sighing and closing his eyes, he was nothing short of dejected.

"Mutt, you say?" Isabel gave Bolt an aggravated glance before turning her head back to Mittens.

"Yeah... a mutt. Big deal! What's it to you? As a matter of fact, who the hell are you?"

"You don't know who _I_ am?!" Isabel asked, astonished.

Mittens examined her to see if her looks would ring a bell. "Well... maybe a little familiar. You look like a model I saw once." Isabel giggled and responded, "My name is Isabel."

"Isabel... oh, that's right! You're that dog that Bolt... um..." She paused.

"...That Bolt what?" Isabel asked eagerly.

"Oh, nothing. Bolt saw you on the television once, and... well, I think it would be best if he told you himself."

Isabel turned to Bolt, her eyes were fiery with anger. Bolt felt intimidated and fell silent, "Well, mutt... I'm waiting. Care to explain yourself?"

Bolt gave Mittens an angry look, "Nice going, cat!"

Mittens took a deep breath and looked Bolt in the eye. She was obviously hurt, "Well... I thought I'd take time out of my day to come and rescue you, Bolt. I am sorry for intruding on your busy schedule. Have fun." Mittens turned her head and walked away slowly, obviously upset.

Bolt watched as she vanished into the trees in the distance. "Mittens!" he yelled.

"Mutt, huh?!" Isabel asked him, infuriated. She looked as if she could unleash the fires of hell upon him, but she didn't, she turned a cold shoulder to him and stormed away back toward the house. She stopped for a brief moment to mutter, "And I thought we had something special, Bolt. I really did." Bolt did not follow her immediately. He knew at that moment that he had lost her.

The remainder of the day passed in silence at Paul's house. Isabel couldn't find the heart to talk to Bolt and Bolt couldn't find the nerve to face Isabel. Though he didn't even attempt to talk to her, it was like a needle through his heart when Isabel didn't speak to him. It was perhaps one of the worst days of Bolt's life.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bolt slept soundly that night, he had to escape it all somehow and sleep was the best way. He awoke the next morning to find Paul sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper, Isabel on the floor beside him, sitting upright like the most spoiled dog on Earth. Bolt rolled his eyes at this.

Bolt drug himself out of bed and over to the couch. He didn't make an effort to bend to his love's will, and jumped onto it, laying down beside Paul. Before the lazy start to the day could continue, Paul spoke up, "You two had better stay out of the woods. Newspaper says there have been poachers around." Bolt immediately remember Mittens. She ventured into the woods when she left the day before. This had not concerned him before, as he knew Mittens was a brave cat, but he knew she wouldn't stand a chance against a rifle. He looked out the window worriedly, "Isabel... I have to go. I'm worried something may have happened to Mittens. She could've gotten lost, or hurt, or worse."

"Do I look like I care?" Isabel responded harshly.

"Of course you don't. But I do. I care about Mittens as much as I care about you. A week ago, Isabel, if it was a choice between you and Mittens I'd have been ambivalent. Now I am choosing what's right. When I first came here, I knew it was only temporary. Out there is a cat who came here to save me, who really cares. She isn't just some old cat, and I'm not just some old mutt! I really do care, Isabel... I care about you. A lot."

"You do?" Isabel was surprised.

"Yeah. But, you don't. You don't care that I think you are beautiful, you don't care that I think you are sensitive, and you don't care that I care." Bolt jumped off the couch and ran for the door, looking back at Isabel, "I told you, it would only be until I'm saved. I've been saved. Now I have to save my saviour." Bolt spoke boldly and with no hesitation and proceeded to scratch at the door.

Paul approached, "Gotta go out Bolt? Okay." Paul opened the door quickly, but to his surprise, Bolt ran. He ran toward the woods. Paul could not even think to catch him, "Bolt! Come back!" Paul rushed back inside to get his shoes, but did not think to close the door beforehand.

Bolt ran until he felt he had run far enough that Paul could not catch him, then he trotted slowly through the darkness of the forest. The sounds of the flora and fauna around him were unlike sounds he had ever heard. The wind was light, but leaves fell through the September air. He could feel and hear the already fallen ones rustling and crunching underneath his white paws. The sunshine in the east was concealed by dark clouds. Though all seemed calm, there was a striking eeriness about this place. Bolt feared something may have happened to Mittens. His heart rate increased slightly and his breathing quickened, "Mittens!!!" He called out. No answer. He looked around in a panic and called again, "Mittens!!!" Still no response. What started as worry was now a full blown panic. Bolt feared now that Mittens's blood may be lying on his paws. He looked around some more, hurriedly, before he heard a sound and jumped back. The sound was not just a thump or a crack; it was a hissing noise that only grew louder, "Oh shit... rattlesnake..." Bolt whispered. Just as he said it, his keen eyes spotted the golden snake in the leaves. The snake squirmed closer to Bolt's paws. Bolt jumped back a few times to keep it away from him, then he ran. He sprinted full speed as far away as he could get from the rattler before he tripped over an exposed tree root and collapsed onto the ground, rolling and flipping over a few times before coming to a complete stop. He immediately felt a sharp rush of pain in his left forepaw. He couldn't move it. He was unsure if it was safe where he was at, but the pain in his forepaw was intense enough to wipe his memory clean of it. He whimpered helplessly as tears rushed to his eyes. He thought of what might've happened to Mittens, and now what might happen to him. He had to keep going. He staggered to all fours, the pain in his forepaw almost mind numbing. He had to keep it off the ground as it hurt too much to touch it to anything or move it at all. He whimpered in pain and fear again. Suddenly, he heard another rustling sound. "The rattlesnake... it's after me!" He stated shakily. He knew he could not escape it this time. This was it. He closed his eyes tightly, held is breath, and waited for the snake to deliver it's winning blow. The rustling grew louder, yet as it did, it didn't sound like a rattlesnake at all. It sounded like the same noise his own paws made as he walked. "M-Mittens... is that you?" No response. The rustling grew louder still, and now the fear returned. Could it be a predator of some kind? Bolt's heart was in his throat. The overwhelming sensations of fear and pain had tears welling up in his eyes. After a moment, a golden dog appeared from behind the trees. "Isabel?" Bolt asked, astonished and relieved.

The dog looked toward him and gasped, and then ran toward him, "Bolt!" Isabel ran up to him and nuzzled him once.

"Why did you follow me?" He asked. "Because I – AAH!!!" She screamed. "What is it? What's wrong?" Bolt asked in a panic. "I... I've been... AAAH!!!" She screamed out again and fell limply to the ground, "Bolt... run!" she muttered weakly, and then shut her eyes.

Bolt breathed rapidly and turned his head from side to side, desperately searching for who or what was hurting Isabel. He began to hear another sound. He now found himself backed against a tree, stricken with fear. This sound was comparable to humans walking over the leaves. The poachers. It had to be them, and they had apparently just shot his lover. Bolt stared at Isabel's limp body as he awaited his own imminent death.


	11. Silhouette

I couldn't think of anything I could do with Bolt of Destiny (the original chapter 10; what this chapter would have been), so I am merging it with Silhouette. This will eliminate that chapter that didn't seem to fit anywhere in the story, as well as reduce the story by one chapter to get us back in order. I am out of school, so maybe we can speed this up! Let's begin!

XI: Silhouette

"Bloody 'ell, lad! Ya shot another pup!" yelled a grainy, accented voice from behind the trees. Bolt opened up his right eye to see a man with a fat face and orange stubble accompanied by a skinny man with a fully grown brown goatee, both appearing from behind the tree to the right.

"Ugh! That's the third one in two days!" the brown-haired man answered in a much lighter, yet just as accented tone.

"Aye, it was good thinkin' you decide to use sedatives this time instead of real bullets or we'd be buryin' this one, too. I mean, look at this one, she's a beaut! And she's even got a collar... she's got an owner."

Bolt was still scared stiff of the trauma he had just experienced. What would happen to Mittens? What of his paw?

"Laddy, we got a live one, too!" The brown-haired one began. "White fur and a collar."

"Ahh... I see it, Charlie." The orange-haired man cautiously approached Bolt, holding a hand out to him. Bolt let out a soft whimper when the man came close enough to him, and that's when the man realized that Bolt's right forepaw was wounded. "Ahh laddy. Ye had a rough day." The man could see the terrified look on Bolt's face, "Ye look like ya seen a ghost, too! Charlie, let's get these two in the truck... we'll take them to Calvin's."

"Alright, Geoff. You get the white one... I'll get the husky." Charlie instructed.

Bolt sighed as he lay in Geoff's arms. For the first time in this wilderness, he felt safe. He gazed at his lover, relieved that she was still alive.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

There was a knock on the door followed by a discouraged sigh. "Come in." Penny grunted.

Emily pushed open the door to Penny's room to see Penny curled up in her blanket with a picture of Bolt on the pillow next to her face, "Um... honey?"

"Hmm?" Penny again grunted, as if it hurt to talk.

Emily sighed and scratched the back of her neck uncomfortably, "I couldn't find Mittens, either... BUT, I thought we could go to Calvin's store tomorrow and see if he's got her. I'm sure Mittens was just worried about Bolt and went out to find him." Emily's attempt at reassuring her daughter failed miserably. Penny started to cry as she lay miserably in her bed.

"Figures" She whimpered. "Now _both_ of them are gone."

"We'll see, honey." Emily added, "We'll see."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After a long car ride, Bolt was taken in Geoff's arms into a building of some kind. Bolt looked around and saw bright lights and pet supplies. Behind the counter in front of her was a man with curly orange hair and stubble. He could hear barking coming from behind a door to the left behind the counter. He was utterly lost.

Calvin was expressionless when the two butch men placed the dogs on the counter; a frightened dog and his unconscious friend. "Um... hi. I'm Calvin Benson. Welcome to my pet shop." He introduced himself as if Charlie had not just placed an unconscious husky on the front counter.

"Er... my boneheaded compadre here just shot this poor lass in the thigh with a sedative." Geoff explained, trying to sound innocent, yet for a man of his large, beefy stature, it was tough to pull off.

"What are you trying to pull here? You were just walking around in the woods and decided to shoot a dog with a sedative for fun?" Calvin's expression never changed. He looked uninterested to say the least.

Charlie sighed, "No... we were hunting for our dinner. Damn hard having no job."

"Sir, are you aware that it is considered poaching this time of year? Hunting season doesn't start here until October." Calvin retorted immediately.

There was an awkward silence before Geoff raised his voice to Charlie. "Ye damned oaf! Look what ya gone and done now! Ya told me it was open season!" He thumped Charlie in the head with is wrist as he spoke and then smacked his palm to his face.

"Guys, guys... it's okay, I won't turn you in. After all, no harm, no foul. You were using sedatives, so she'll be alright by the morning." Calvin stroked Isabel once and then smiled.

Geoff exhaled, realizing that the fact they hadn't been using sedatives the whole time they'd been there was unbeknown to him. Charlie, likewise, was also thankful, "Thank you, sir."

"Don't mention it." He looked over to Bolt, "...You guys are serious?" He gave them a shocked look, "You brought two famous dogs to me? Wow."

Geoff gave him a puzzled look, "Wait... er... famous?"

"Yes. The unconscious one is Isabel, the winner of the 2006 and 2007 Missouri All-Star Dog Show, and this one over here is Bolt, he was the star of a television show for a few years."

Geoff and Charlie were both flabbergasted by this, "Ye pullin' our legs, lad?" Charlie asked.

"Nope. Seems Bolt's doing just fine, too. You must've taken good care of the guy." He stroked Bolt's fur. He seemed in a much better mood than before.

"Aye. He was frightened when I first saw him, but he really cheered up when I was gentle with him." Geoff sounded sincere, and Calvin smiled at him.

"You want a job?" Calvin asked him.

Geoff shook his head in surprise, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said I'm offering you a job. Want it?" Calvin smirked at him.

"Er... what would I have to do?" Geoff responded, trying to contain his excitement.

Calvin sighed and looked at the two dogs on the counter, "Well... you can start by helping me bring these guys into the other room."

"Uh..."

"What am I paying you for?! Get to work!" Calvin yelled in a serious, but joking tone.

Geoff smiled, "Charlie, go have fun. I got work to do." Geoff then gently lifted Bolt and brought him through the door to the left.

Bolt and Isabel were taken down a large hall to the very end. On each side of the hallway were makeshift dog pens, basically metal gates and cement walls, with soft blue padding covering the hard floors. It wasn't quite royalty, but it wasn't prison. The two dogs were placed in a pen on the right side at the end of the hallway.

"I feel bad for the laddy." Geoff stated sympathetically.

"Don't worry. Isabel will be fine by morning, and we'll call both their owners." Calvin assured him as they both walked back down toward the entrance to the room.

For the first time since the incident in the forest, Isabel stirred a bit. She moved her paw once to rest it closer to her flank.

"Izzy?" Bolt asked, hoping for a response. It never came.

Her eyes opened slightly and her pupils were dilated. She held this blank expression for a few moments, then it faded back to her previous state. Bolt leaned in and nuzzled her with his furry cheek, "That's great to hear... I thought I lost you!" He lifted his head away from Isabel, and that's when he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

He looked across toward the cement walls to see three dogs in the corner, examining Bolt and Isabel, seeming to cower before their presence, they were obviously afraid to approach. Bolt decided to break the ice, "Hello, brothers!"

"Er... I'm a girl, actually." The red collie managed to utter, pretending to sound brave.

Bolt could detect her cowardice, "Is... is something wrong, guys?"

"No... it's just that you-" The collie began again.

"You're our hero!!!" The miniature brown boxer completed for her. The group suddenly charged over to Bolt.

The droopy brown and white basset hound, with his deep, lazy voice, then yelled, "Bolt!!!"

Bolt was a little bewildered by the fact that the dogs were suddenly so social, "Uh... yeah, I'm Bolt." The dogs began to examine him, "Woah, calm down guys! I'm just another dog!" The trio backed off, seemingly at his will.

The collie spoke up, "Who is that?" She asked, gesturing at Isabel.

"Her?" Bolt asked, also gesturing at Isabel. "This is Isabel... she won that state-wide dog show competition."

The collie gasped, "You're both famous, ain't ya?" She inquired in her sleek, city dog voice, cocking her head to the side.

"Well... I dunno about famous but..." Bolt began, before he was interrupted by the boxer.

"Doesn't my Owner know your Owner?" The boxer asked Bolt.

Bolt was a little confused, "Uh... I dunno, what's your name?"

The boxer cleared his throat and sat down, "I'm Auger."

"Huh... the name rings a bell."

Auger gasped, "My favourite magic box canine knows my name!"

Bolt looked over at Isabel and began, "Okay, guys... could you help me out?"

"How?" The basset asked.

"Well.... see this girl here?" Bolt inquired.

The group nodded, "How could we not? She's the biggest dog in here and she's lying in the middle of the freakin' pen." Auger commented sarcastically.

"Well, you see... I... um..."

"Love her?" The basset hound asked.

This hit Bolt like a baseball bat to the side of the head. He wasn't sure what to think. At the same time, he wanted to scream it out to the world, but he also wanted to just wake up in Penny's bed from this insane dream. Either way, he loved this girl. For some reason, however, it felt complete; a feeling he'd only expect if the feeling was returned. "I... uh..."

The canine trio was all jittery with anticipation.

Bolt sighed nervously and then regained his composure, "Yes. Yes, I do."

"Awwwww." All three responded collectively.

Bolt's cheeks flushed red and he smiled awkwardly.

"Ohh, don't take it that way, Bolt. It's just cute is all." The collie encouraged. Her long, red fur flowing as she approached. "A little love never hurt anyone."

The basset saw the embarrassed look on Bolt's face and changed the subject back, "Alright, continue. What about her?"

"Oh! Yes! See, I care about her very much. Do you guys know what those sleepy bullets do? Will she be okay?" Bolt asked, sounding pretty desperate.

"Sleepy bullets? Never heard of 'em." Auger said, looking puzzled.

"You, know... those, sharp, pointy, er..." Bolt cringed, trying to remember and sound out what Geoff had called them, "Sed... ic... tiff... sedectives... something like that."

"Sedatives?" The basset hound asked.

Bolt nodded.

"Oh, those things! Pa used those all the time. He used those whenever I would go off alone to track just incase he would mistake me for a deer or something. One time, I was out in the woods and Pa did mistake me for a deer. He shot me right in the leg. I cannot begin to tell you how much it hurts! So, that's what they are for. She should be fine when she wakes up tomorrow. I'm a trained hunting dog. I remember Pa would take me out into the woods and have me look for deer... oh, those were the good ol' days."

"What happened?" Bolt began, "How did you end up here?"

The basset looked uneasy. He shakily drew a breath and the collie gave him a quick nuzzle, seemingly comforting him, "Pa... well... he passed away... three weeks ago... bullet ricocheted off a tree and hit him square in the head. Killed him where he stood." He reluctantly answered, holding back tears.

"It's okay, Buck. You can cry." The collie encouraged.

Buck began to weep quietly and trotted slowly away into the corner of with his back facing the group.

"My story is pretty sad, too." The collie began, partially to get attention off of Buck and partially because it was appropriate at the moment, "I'm a trained and certified guide dog for the blind. I had many different masters over the few years I was on the job, but then there was one day I was assigned to a blind couple. And, being just one dog, I was only able to guide one human. I was paired up with a dog who kept hitting on me. He... well... he didn't respect my personal space... so my instincts took over, and I attacked him. One of our Masters were caught in our melee and got a little bruised, so the facility removed my collar and declared me a failure as a guide dog, so they sent me here two weeks ago." She ended her story with a depressed sigh.

"Okay, it's my turn, Sadie!" Auger interrupted, his high-pitched, somewhat nasally voice causing Sadie to cringe. "My story is probably not as sad as your's or Buck's, but it's still pretty sad. See, I was trained to cheer people up... ya know, make people feel good about themselves. My owner's name was Sam. What a great kid! I loved the guy! He really cared about me."

"He did?" Bolt asked, remembering what Penny said.

"Heck yeah, he did!"

"But I thought I heard Penny say he wasn't."

"Penny? Your owner" Sadie inquired.

"Yeah..." Bolt answered, sounding a little bit discouraged on the subject of Penny.

"Well, she's misunderstood." Auger continued, "Wonder what happens to all of Sam's pets? His little brother! His little bro, the demon he is, would wait until Sam had left his room, knowing Sam doesn't like the guy in there, then come in and smother the durn thing! He would just go crazy for cheap entertainment, such as dumping the dog's food out, or hug the dog till it faints from asphyxiation. The parents come home and see what a mess "Sam" has made, and the little brother, being the golden child born under royalty or something, would never get in any trouble. I'm here because the kid stuffed me in a damned jar! The family had to break it open! Boy, I'd give anything to see Sammy again." Auger sighed and looked to the floor in sorrow.

Sadie had an empathetic look on her face, "How about you? What are you doing here of all places? What happened to you?"

If there was previously any enthusiasm on Bolt's face, it was gone now. His jaw dropped open slightly and his eyes widened, "I... uh..." He began, trying to find the words. His emotions ran thick, but his mind ran thin on memories of what he had been through over the last three days. This was the first he had stopped to recollect on those three days, let alone the last six hours. He thought of Penny. He imagined her voice, her face, her undying love. He thought about the fact he may never see her again. His mind fogged over more with emotion and his eyes fogged with tears as the distraught dog did his best to keep them in, "I... don't know..." He responded weakly.

"Aww, come on, Bolt! We told our stories! Don't be afraid to let it out." Buck encouraged, just having rejoined the group.

Bolt tried his best to remember just how he found himself in this pen. Then he remembered the reason he left Paul's house; Mittens. She was still out there. Bolt's heart rose to his throat as a sudden shudder of fear came over him, "Oh god... there is no way she's still alive now..." Bolt whispered to himself as more tears came to his eyes.

"No way who's still alive?" Auger asked politely, starting to feel a little sympathetic, seeing the white dog looking as if he was about to cry.

Bolt muffled a sob and took in a ragged breath, "My best friend... Mittens."

"Mittens?" Asked Sadie.

"Yes. I have known her for a long time, and I had really grown attached to her."

"Is she someone special to you?"

"Yes. But, she isn't like Isabel. Mittens is a cat, but she is... why I am here... she showed me the ropes of being a real dog living a normal life. She came out all that way to save me, and when she came to save me, I..." Bolt let out a long sigh, fighting back tears that came to his eyes. "You what?" Auger asked softly. Bolt couldn't fight back his emotions any longer and broke out into a sob as he began to speak again, "I turned her away! I was careless! She went out alone into the woods, and I was too late going after her! All I got was a broken paw... and I never saw her again!" Bolt was openly weeping now, tears flowing from his amber eyes. He paused for a moment to wipe them away, "Love... it's a powerful emotion. And I lost my best friend because of it. Not to mention I'm sure Penny has given up looking for me by now. Isabel... she's all I've got... if I lose her..." Bolt could not say anymore. He jerked his head around to face away from the group and trotted sorrowfully toward Isabel as he cried. He nuzzled the limp dog's body and remained silently next to her for a while.

The trio was silent as they backed away, allowing Bolt to let it all out.

Isabel awakened a bit more, but was still a silhouette of her former self; the vigorous, sprightly dog she had been. She could not do much to comfort Bolt, though she heard every word he had said and was touched by it.

Bolt was able to help Isabel to move to the nearby dog bed. The dog bed Isabel lay down in wasn't quite fit for a king, but the pillow Bolt donated from his own bed made her more than happy. Bolt lay down in that bed next to Isabel, staring at her as tears streamed down his face.

"He's hurting bad, guys. Should we help him?" Sadie asked her two canine companions.

"No. I think we should just leave him alone. The guy has had a rough few days, and I'm sure once he lets it all out, he'll feel much better." Buck informed her.

"I sure hope you're right, Buck..." Sadie responded, "I can't stand to see the poor guy like this."

Bolt painstakingly got himself sitting up on his three healthy paws, "Izzy... I have to tell you something." He paused to await a response of some kind. Anything.

Isabel let out a struggled, "Hmm?"

Bolt inhaled, "I... uh... aw, hell! Why am I so nervous?!" Bolt chuckled a little, realizing Isabel wouldn't remember any of this due to the sedative's effects, "Isabel... I want you to know that... I love you. For real. I've never felt like this about anyone... and, honestly, I am tired of lying to you, lying to myself. I may not have the most experience when it comes to love, but if this is it, then I hope it never ends. Izzy, unless something crazy happens, it looks like you are all I got. I want to spend every last moment of our lives together. I want the best for you to come over the best for me. I hope and pray that you never have to put up with Paul... er... your Master's bad attitude ever again. All that man cares about is his hunger to win... not you! But Isabel, I do! I care about you! I may not be a purebred, but I have a heart. And, as far as I know, a heart means more than some paper with a label. Don't you think?" Bolt had been talking so fast and with such vigor that he about tripped over his own tongue. He caught his train of thought and continued, "Izzy, I need to know you understand. Do you promise you'll be there for me, as a lover or a friend it does not matter... just tell me you will be there! I need this!"

Somehow, despite her half-dead mind and her weakened state, Isabel was able to open her mouth and speak clearly and coherently, "Bolt... you are no mutt. You have proven to me that not all purebreds come with papers or fancy obedience training, but that a true purebred is based on what lies in the heart." She smiled at Bolt, who was sniffling away his last tears with a huge smile on his face, "I promise, Bolt..." She lifted her head up to face Bolt. She opened up her sapphire eyes all the way and stared Bolt straight in the eye, her face was as serious as Bolt had ever seen, "...As a lover."

Bolt yipped happily and powerfully nuzzled her. As he did this, he could feel her body drift back into its silhouette. Apparently, love was just enough to keep her awake. Bolt embraced her and basked in the warmth of her presence for a long time before whispering, "I'll see you in the morning... I have a good feeling about tomorrow." He gave her another glance before going to sleep. A daring smile appeared on his face. He leaned in and licked at her muzzle. Isabel giggled at the bumpy texture of Bolt's tongue brushing at her black lips. Her tongue poked out for a moment to join him, and they shared a brief first kiss. Bolt finished by brushing his warm, pink tongue across Isabel's nose. Isabel giggled again at the velvety caress. Bolt may have only had one thing to live for, but it made him feel like, on a day where he, in his own mind, defied death numerous times, it was the first time since first glance at her that he felt truly alive.


	12. Unweaving

I'm finishing this off by using my original and simply having it beta read. Let's begin!

XII: Unweaving

Bolt awoke bright and early before the sun even came up. But as Bolt lay in the comfortable beds in the dog shelter, something felt amiss. He opened his eyes to see, not the gray cement walls, but two large red orbs, like rubies, staring into his eyes and hot puffs of air on his face. Bolt was startled and jumped back with a scream.

"HIYA!!! How ya doin? Feelin' better? Aw man, you were just so depressed last night. It was painful to watch," Auger badgered.

"Jeez, Auger! I was sleeping... don't do that. You scared me." Auger laughed and gestured to play. He did not gesture in return, but looked over to Isabel and gave her a kiss, licking her on the nose.

"You feeling better, Isabel?" He asked.

"Where are we, Bolt?" She questioned softly as she opened her eyes. Bolt smiled. "We were in the woods... and then something bit my leg. What happened?"

"I really thought I lost you, Isabel. You were hit with sedatives by a hunter. He brought us here." He nuzzled her.

"Bolt... you are being so good to me... and after all the things I said... you're a real dog, Bolt. You aren't like the purebreds or the mutts. You're one of a kind." Bolt smiled contentedly and responded, "Well, I'm not perfect. But Isabel, I really did mean what I said to you last night."

"I know. That speech was straight from your heart. I could tell. And Bolt..."

"What?" Bolt asked.

"I really meant what I said too. Thank you... for everything..." She stood up and gave Bolt a kiss, brushing her velvety tongue along Bolt's nose.

"No. Thank _you_, Isabel." Bolt added quietly.

Isabel held her lover close. Bolt could hear her heart beating as he placed his paw next to hers. They were both truly in love. Cupid's arrow had struck them both. It seemed as if they were simply made for each other.

***

Paul awoke bright and early, rubbed his eyes and stretched. He rose to his feet and dropped off the bed. He dragged himself into the kitchen and began making coffee, his mind plagued with unrest. Where did Bolt go, and more importantly, where did Isabel go? He was vengeful toward whatever drew them away. Nobody comes in the way of Paul and his passion.

After quickly drinking his coffee, Paul departed the house in search of his dog. As he drove down the rocky driveway, he talked to himself. "It was that bastard, Joe. He must've given Isabel something that makes her not like me. Wait till I get my hands on that egotistical little..."

Paul gritted his teeth as he spoke, his anger seething. After a brief pause, he began again, "How would Joe know to come to my house in search of Bolt... and not be in uniform? He wants to steal Emily away from me, doesn't he? That's gotta be it! Emily thinks I did it and told him!" A fiendish smile appeared on his face. "I know what I'll do. I'll just wait for Paul to show up at her house. I'll wait at the end of the street, and when Paul shows up, BAM!! Right where it hurts!"

Paul sped down the asphalt road and stopped at a pet store to buy a leash. He never before had to use a leash with Isabel, as she would typically obey him. But, this time was different.

***

It was 9 a.m., Emily and Penny were just leaving the house to look for Bolt and Mittens again, when a familiar state trooper pulled up to the house.

"You take care now, Rhino." Emily said over her shoulder as she and Penny left the house. Rhino waved at them with a squeak. Luckily, Paul hadn't arrived yet when Joe pulled up. The passenger's window rolled down as Emily and Penny approached the car.

"I believe you were right, Emily. I think Paul has Bolt. He apparently wants to breed a dog that's easier to train so he can win the dog show again."

Emily began to smile, half relieved that Bolt was apparently alright and half excited, since she really had been aching to date Joe. Emily did not have a response regarding Bolt, but instead simply said, "It's a date!" Joe was ecstatic. He grinned widely and said, "7:30 tonight, Walker's Cafe, don't be late." Emily nodded and then changed the subject back. "What should we do about Bolt?"

"Well, do you want a ride? I'm going out there right now and placing Paul Osmond under arrest."

"Come on, Penny. Let's get in the car." Emily and Penny got in the state trooper's car and Joe mashed the gas, headed for Paul's house. The ten minute ride flew by as Joe kept them entertained by showing them the cool gadgets in his car. When they arrived, they pulled in front of the beat up old house.

"Stay here" Joe directed Emily and Penny and exited the car. Paul's black station wagon was gone from the driveway. Joe attempted to open the door but it was locked. He peered into the window, nobody was home. Not even Isabel.

He strutted back to the car and said "Well, it doesn't look like he's home. But that's what's great about having a warrant; I'm getting in!" Joe took a bat from the glove compartment and beat in the front living room window, being sure to remove all the glass from it before entering. He climbed through it to find a house with no life in it. Not a single dog or human. Strange.

Joe examined the house for clues. The only thing he found, and an interesting one at that, was the fact that the dog beds were clean of stray fur... except one, the second one from the dog bed furthest to the right, and the fur looked like it had been shed recently. He grabbed a handful of the fur and went out to the car.

Joe got back in and looked to Emily. "Well, he's probably taken Bolt and Isabel out for a ride. I'll return here later for sure. So, do you guys want to go to Calvin's? If anyone has Mittens, it's him."

"Yes, please." Penny answered, and they drove off.

***

It was 9:30 a.m. Bolt and Isabel could not seem to take their eyes off each other. It was as if they were the two finalists in a world championship staring contest. They followed each other around the pen all morning, their love for each other obvious.

Geoff had started his first real day on the job, and he was to work with Calvin from opening till closing, since he was Calvin's only employee. And, just as Calvin had predicted, everyone was coming to the shelter, hearing rumours of famous dogs finding their way there.

"Geoff! Did you ever call that owner of Isabel?" Calvin asked from across the room.

"Aye, sir. I even looked up the guy and called his cell, but he wouldn't answer."

Geoff approached the cage Bolt and Isabel were in, "Hey there laddy!" He said looking at Bolt, who was sitting next to Isabel, nuzzling her. "Aww, doggy love. That's the most adorable thing. Well, it's breakfast time!" Geoff grabbed the bowl and walked with it out of the room and into the main room where customers were waiting to pick a pet.

But when Geoff entered the room, it wasn't twenty seconds before he yelled out, "Hey! Bolt! It's your Mom!" Bolt's ears stood up, he ran to the front of the pen, eager to see Emily again. His tail wagged as he thought of Rhino, Mom, and, of course, Penny.

"Bolt. Are you leaving?" Daisy asked.

"I don't know. I hope so, because it'd be so great to be home! And you can come, too, Isabel." Isabel was a little confused. "Huh? I can... come home with you? To your Master?"

"Of course you can!" Bolt said enthusiastically.

Bolt looked down to the end of the room and saw three people walking towards the pen. Alongside Geoff was Penny and Emily. Bolt barked and jumped, excited to see them.

"Bolt!" Penny exclaimed.

Geoff opened the gate and Bolt limped out and jumped into Penny's arms. "Oh no, your paw. What happened?" She said, feeling sympathetic for Bolt as she slowly and carefully lifted his wounded paw.

"Eh. They little fella had a bit of a scare out in the woods. My friend, Charlie, accidentally shot his girlfriend here with a sedative, that's how we found the poor guy. So we took care of him and brought him here."

"Girlfriend?" Penny asked, eyed widening a bit.

"Aye. At least it's seemed like it. These two have been on each other like you'd never believe." Geoff pointed to Isabel, who was still inside the pen, a dry expression on her face.

"Aww, that's so cute!" Penny exclaimed as Bolt gave her several saliva-laden licks on the nose.

"That's adorable!" Emily added.

"Do you think we can keep her, too mom?" Penny asked.

Emily was about to say yes when Geoff answered for her, glumly, "I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that, because the lassie's got a collar. She's got an owner. We're going to give her back to her proper owner."

"Oh" Penny responded, a little disappointed.

Bolt realized that he was moving... away from Isabel. Penny and Emily were taking him home and Isabel wasn't being taken along. He looked over Penny's shoulder to see Isabel still in the pen as he was being carried out of the room. They locked in a stare, each hoping that the other would come backthey would see each other again, until the door shut, and the other had vanished from their sight.


	13. Not Quite Like Home

So now Isabel and Bolt are separated =( Will they ever get back together? And what do Isabel and Paul have in mind? Let's begin!

**XIII: Not Quite Like Home**

Isabel heard the door slam down the hall. Bolt had vanished from her sight. She didn't want to believe it. She didn't want it to end like this, but Bolt had gone home, and she wasn't going with him. Tears welled up in her eyes and she began to let out quiet sobs.

"Isabel." Sadie started and sighed. "That's the way things work here. All the cute ones are the first chosen and the ones with caring owners will find their dog sooner or later. The rest of us..." She tried to finish, but couldn't bare to talk about it.

Buck approached from behind Sadie and began to talk to Isabel himself. "They give you 30 days in shelters like this. If you are not rescued by your owner or adopted by a family, they give you special treatment."

"Special treatment?" Isabel asked, wiping tears from her cheek. "Yep." Auger answered, interrupting Buck. "It's like coffee with sugar. Bittersweet. On your last day, Calvin takes you into his office and gives you a meal fit for a king. They give you the most delicious human food you can think of, even chocolate! Then, when you wake up the next day, a man dressed in blue comes in and takes you in this pet carrier outfitted like royalty. It's beautiful on the outside, and on the inside is the softest, most comfortable bed you'll ever sleep in. And once you enter, they take you away and put you in their car. Then, they take you to a big building with bright lights, and put you, asleep in the carrier, on a desk and a man in white sticks a needle in you... but you don't feel it. After they stick the needle in you, you never wake up."

Isabel was shocked and stricken with fear. "How... how do you know this?"

"Meh. I had a friend escape from one of these deals before they gave him the needle. The man in white opened the carrier and he ran out. Nobody could catch the guy; he was trained." Auger added modestly and with a smile. Isabel then got a puzzled look on her face. "Trained? But... wouldn't that be the opposite of trained? Because... well... a trained dog would be more obedient and loyal to their Masters..." The trio gave Isabel a weird look, as if she was crazy.

"...Wouldn't... Wouldn't they?" She asked, beginning to look confused herself.

Sadie was the first to speak up, "Listen, girl. I don't know where you've gotten your facts, but not all trained dogs are trained in obedience. See, I'm trained to lead blind humans. But, if some random person throws a stick and tells me to 'fetch', I really don't know what to do."

Auger followed, "Yeah! And I'm trained to make people feel better when they're sad. But, I don't beg." Finally, Buck added, "And I'm trained to track animals in the woods so humans can hunt them or protect themselves from them. There are different ways and styles of trained dogs, not just the kind you see in the shows."

Isabel listened, very interested. Now she realized what Bolt meant; he wasn't just some mutt. He really was a trained dog, just different. But, at this point, Isabel couldn't care less if he was a stray mutt or Queen Elizabeth's dog; she loved Bolt for Bolt and would kill to see him again.

Isabel turned her head, as if she was looking for something, and spotted a barred window high up on the cement wall. She gazed at it for a moment in thought, and then shook her head from side to side. She looked at the fence to the pen separating the dogs from the rest of the room. She then looked down at the bottom of it, and up at the top, and saw that the fence did not go all the way to the ceiling. She then walked up to the fence and looked left and right. There was a fire door to the right. She looked at the gate door on the fence. It wasn't locked, but the handle was on the outside. She looked down, as if in thought.

"Are we supposed to know what you're doing, Izzy?" Auger asked in a condescending tone.

"No. You're not." Isabel snapped back. "You guys wanna get out of here?" She inquired with a smile, and then leaped with great precision onto the fence, gripping the thin metal links with her paws, and she began to climb the fence. She reached the top quickly and leaped down onto the hard cement floor, contrasting greatly to the padded interior of the pen.

The trio of dogs still in the pen then cheered her on as she opened the gate for them. Isabel used her front paws to quickly push the fire door open, which surprisingly did not set off an alarm, and the four victorious dogs ran out into the open, cheering wildly. They ran freely, feeling the grass under their paws, something Buck hadn't felt in three weeks.

"Where are we going, Izzy?" Sadie asked as she ran. Isabel came to a sudden stop. She didn't think her idea would make it this far, and had not planned it out past getting out the door. "I really don't know. I don't know how to get to Bolt's home from here.

Just then, on the road beside them, a black station wagon sped by, heading down the road in front of them. "Master?" Isabel said to herself. She blinked to assure herself it wasn't just an illusion. When she opened her eyes again, the car was still speeding down the road. "Follow that car! That's my Master! I think he knows where Bolt is!"

"Are you sure?" asked Sadie. Isabel flared her nose, getting a scent of the burning oil from the car. "Yes! I know it is! That's Master! Buck, use your nose to lead us!" Buck inhaled deeply, getting a strong scent of the car's exhaust, and began to follow the cars trail. The pack stuck right behind him.

***

The police car pulled up to the driveway and Penny and Emily jumped out.

"I'm gonna see if Paul ever came home, Emily. I'll be back soon." Joe gave Emily a hug and thanked him, and then walked into the house, Penny lagging behind.

"Penny, what's wrong?" Emily asked her.

"I'm worried about Bolt. He's not acting like himself. Do you think he's sick?" Emily examined Bolt, who looked either extremely tired or extremely upset.

"Aww, he probably just misses his friend. I'm sure he'll be alright. Just put him on my bed next to Rhino's cage. He always loves to watch TV with Rhino." Penny did so, and sat down on the couch with them. Bolt didn't seem excited at all. Penny didn't realize the pain Bolt was feeling.

"Bolt, what's wrong?" Penny then considered... maybe Bolt had developed a crush on that girl dog in the pen? _Can dogs fall in love?_ She thought. She looked down at Bolt's face, seeing his sad expression. Bolt didn't even focus his eyes on Penny.

Penny leaned down in front of Bolt's face, "I'm sorry, Bolt. I'm... really sorry." She left the room, closing the door behind her.

Bolt was left alone for thirty seconds before Rhino exited his cereal box bed.

Rhino gasped. "Could it really be?" He said to himself. "BOLT!!! You're alive! I knew you'd be alive!!! Nobody messes with Bolt, because when you mess with Bolt, ROAR!!! ZAM!!! POW!!!" He spoke as if Bolt was the Incredible Hulk. "You are too fully awesome!!! So tell me about it, Bolt. How awesome was it?"

It wasn't until now that he noticed that Bolt wasn't paying attention. Rhino saw the sad expression on Bolt's face. "Bolt?" Rhino crawled his way out of the cage and onto the bed, and he now realized that Bolt really was hurt.

He noticed the cast on Bolt's paw and tears in his eyes. "Oh..." he said quietly to himself. "Is... is it a girl, Bolt?" He asked sympathetically. Bolt didn't answer. "Bolt?" Bolt still didn't respond. Rhino sighed and then realized something was missing. "Where's Mittens?" He asked.

Bolt, still not answering, muffled a sob. Rhino realized that Bolt needed to be comforted. He needed someone to encourage him that everything was going to be okay. Rhino climbed up to Bolt's head and began to speak to him.

"Bolt. There comes a time when the hero throws away everything he stands for and gives everything up. He forgets who he is, and he may become discouraged or even just plain upset, and then he realizes exactly why he threw everything away... whether it's fate's decision or his own, the hero only did it because he felt like he was missing something! Something that his villains could see and he knew he felt like he had nothing against them-"

"Rhino, you just made that up, didn't you?"

"Yeah, how was it?"

Bolt didn't answer, and instead, thought about Isabel. He muffled another sob. "Just let it out, Bolt. I'm here for ya." Rhino encouraged.

Bolt then immediately began crying helplessly, a stream of tears running down his cheeks. "It's okay, it's okay." Rhino encouraged, patting Bolt on the head. "We care about you, Bolt! Though you may have loved her, you can always look forward to a peaceful, happy life here."

Rhino had Bolt's attention now, and Bolt wiped the tears from his cheeks and pulled himself together. "Rhino, you're right. I knew the whole time that it would only last until I'm saved, and I can always look toward the future. I do care about Penny with all my heart. This whole thing has really thrown things off for me. I didn't know what I wanted anymore. Well, I got Penny, so I guess it's time for me to stop moping and start acting like a real dog again! That's what Mittens would want."

Bolt rose up onto his three working paws during the speech. Any hint of sorrow in his voice, by the end of his speech, had vanished. Rhino, with eyes widened, looked up at Bolt and stated quietly, in amazement, "Wow." It may have seemed hard, but Bolt was up for it. He was ready to put it behind him... it was all he could do at this point.

Bolt pushed open the door and ran for Penny, who was sitting on the couch. "There's my good boy!" Penny exclaimed. Bolt jumped on the couch and gestured to play, eying Mr. Carrot, who sat next to her. "Aww, do you want to play, Bolt?" Penny grabbed Mr. Carrot and motioned Bolt to follow her outside. Emily was in the kitchen, and as Penny passed through with Bolt in tow, she exclaimed, "Oh, welcome back, Bolt!" Emily then remembered that Mittens was still out there. She then followed Penny outside into the backyard and asked Penny, "Do you want to go and look for Mittens if she's not back by tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I do. But where do you think she could be?"

"I don't know, but it can't hurt to look at some other shelters." Emily said. Bolt eagerly awaited Penny to toss Mr. Carrot across the yard, wagging his tail, and she did. Bolt ran limping to Mr. Carrot on his three working paws. But, as Bolt grabbed Mr. Carrot with his mouth and turned around to bring it back to Penny, he could've sworn he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Isabel down the street, along with the three dogs he met at the pound, being tossed into a black car. He looked again and saw the black car at the end of the road, but no evidence of the dogs. "Isabel?!" He screamed. No answer.


	14. Bolt of Fury

What are Paul's plans now? And where the heck is Mittens? Let's begin!

XIV: Bolt of Fury

Bolt froze, Mr. Carrot still sitting in his mouth. He stood patiently, not moving a muscle, and slowly began glancing to the right, where he thought he saw the black car. The morning sun illuminated a police car driving down the street, blocking the view. Joe was back, and Bolt began barking. Did he really see Isabel and the trio from the pound? Bolt looked back again and did not see them. Either it had pulled away with Isabel in the car or it was an illusion.

Bolt trotted as well as he could on his three working paws into the house, now a little worried again about Isabel. Bolt, instead of running for the front door, walked to the couch and jumped onto it, releasing Mr. Carrot from his mouth. Rhino, who was now in his ball, was on the couch watching TV, as usual. "Rhino. How am I just gonna put it behind me? I love her."

"Hey Bolty old buddy, that's life. If you find an answer to that you tell me." Rhino said with a smirk, and then lost the smile as he asked, "So Mittens is..." Bolt closed his eyes and sighed, all but confirming it for Rhino. Rhino then closed his eyes as well and sighed as well, "Poor Mittens..." he added. Bolt then hopped back onto the floor and head for the front door, where Joe was. "Did you find him?" Emily asked. "He's still not home..." Joe responded.

"Odd..." But just as Emily stated that, out of the corner of her eye, a black car pulled up to the foot of the yard from the right and Paul exited the vehicle with a vengeful look on his face. "Joe!!!" He called out angrily. "I should've known that you were after my girl; you came to my house without a warrant, off duty, to do a quick search, you heard from Emily to keep it discreet. Now you back the hell away from her or I will back you away myself!" He began to storm down the front sidewalk toward the front door, holding four dogs on a leash; Isabel, Buck, Sadie, and Auger.

"Paul?! What the? I'm not with you anymore! Just leave!" Emily ordered, sounding a little fearful. "Is that so?" Paul started, still stomping up to the front porch. "Go inside, Emily." Joe directed, opening the door. "But..." Emily bargained, but was interrupted by Joe, "Just get inside! I've had it with this guy! Call the cops." Joe and Emily entered the house, Emily ran to the closest phone while Joe stood his ground. He waited right in the middle of the living room for Paul to enter. Bolt retreated to the couch and watched, unsure of what was about to happen. "What's going on, Rhino?" Bolt asked. "I don't know, Bolt, but someone's about to get jacked! Let's watch!"

Paul stormed into the house with all four dogs on a leash, cowering. "Nice new dogs, Paul. Where'd you find em?"

"I found them walking toward this house so I decided to take them off the streets. The collie and basset are far too old, but I wouldn't mind training the little boxer here. He's got gold medal written all over him." Paul leaned over and pet Auger as he spoke, then tied the four leashes to a chair, the four dogs cowering helplessly.

Bolt then knew it was no illusion, Isabel was there! "Isabel!" Bolt yelled and ran toward her as Paul approached Joe, popping the joints in his fingers. "So, you think you can steal my girl, man? I may be small, but I ain't a coward! You, though... are a waste of her time. She'd never love you, you're pathetic as a fighter."

"I am a trained police officer, I can handle a cocky son of a bitch like you."

"Then have at me..." Paul opened his arms, gesturing a free shot, but Joe did not make a motion toward him. "No? Then I'll do the honours!" Paul threw a haymaker at Joe's face, but Joe lunged forward, a contrast to what what Paul expected, and before Paul knew it, he was on the ground in a wristlock. "Ow! Ow! Easy!" Paul yelled. "Pathetic as a fighter, am I?" Joe teased. Paul, seething with anger, muscled his way out of the hold, rolled and stood up, and then gave Joe a hard kick to the neck. Joe fell over, dazed and unable to recover immediately. Paul then looked around.

Paul glanced at the four dogs and then noticed Bolt with Isabel. Bolt was desperately trying to untie her leash from the chair. Paul approached him, a stunned look on his face. "You..." He said as he pointed his finger.

Bolt turned around to see him. The shocked expression on Paul's face quickly turned to vengeance. "You are the one that caused Izzy to leave. You're a bad dog! You're no purebred, you're nothing but a damned mutt!!!" The words Bolt heard come out of his mouth were hurtful to him, and inside him a small flame began to blaze. Bolt let out a low growl at Paul.

Police officers were beginning to pull up in front of the house, and Paul knew he wasn't gonna get away. All that mattered to Paul now was keeping Isabel from Bolt. "Paul Osmond, come out with your hands up!" one officer shouted through a megaphone.

Bolt, using his teeth, untied Isabel from the chair as Emily and Joe re-entered the room, this time Penny was with them, too.

"You're not getting my dog, you mutt!" Paul yelled at Bolt in a low, menacing voice, quickly grabbing Isabel's leash before she could run off with Bolt. Paul gripped Isabel's leash tight and tugged hard, causing her to let out a yelp of pain. The little flame that had been sparked in Bolt had begun to grow, so much so that he could barely control himself now and his instincts were beginning to take over. He couldn't just stand by and let this man... this egotistical, sadistic, evil man take his love away.

Bolt was now standing on his three good paws, and despite the pain, out of sheer bravery brought on by the rage, he lowered his left forepaw to the ground with intention to use it.

Paul could see the white dog fuming with anger. He was growling, teeth bared, and a look on his visage beyond infuriation. His eyes were piercing, not quite heat vision, but his gaze was as if he had become possessed by a demon. Paul leaned over a little and looked Bolt directly in the eye, a mocking look on his face, and spoke quietly and intimidatingly, "I'm only happy when I win. You are no winner. You will not plague my Isabel with puppies that are anything like you." Then Paul gripped Isabel's leash with his left hand and the three strays from the shelter's leash with his right. His grip on Isabel's leash tightened and he again tugged, this time harder. Isabel let out another yelp. Bolt was not gonna try to hold the beast back anymore. This was his one chance; his moment of glory. Not only was this man undeserving of the title 'Dad' or '2-time state champion' but, at this point, undeserving of his pride and joy, Isabel. Paul turned his back; a bad move, giving Bolt his best chance.

Bolt suddenly jumped forward, landing on Paul's back, using Paul's shoulders to keep himself from losing this opportunity he had longed for for days. Bolt, in a fit of rage, began trying to bite at Paul's neck, standing on all fours on Paul's back, the pain in his paw unnoticeable from the adrenaline rush.

Paul knocked him to the right, and Bolt, before falling to the ground, got a firm grip on Paul's right hand with his jaws. His fury showing forth, he bit down as hard as he could until he began to draw blood. "AAAAH!!!" Paul screamed as Bolt bit down, and out of his own instinct, he let go of the leash in his right hand, allowing Auger, Sadie, and Buck to escape. "Let go you foul little demon!!!" Paul flailed his arm up and down, trying to shake Bolt loose, but Bolt's grip tightened. He finally swung hard enough that Bolt went flying through the air and slammed into the living room wall with a loud whine, then collapsed to the ground on a small pile of paper, and simply laid there, motionless.

"Bolt!!" Penny yelled and ran to him, petting him and giving Paul a look of disbelief. "How could you?" Paul reached for the door handle with his now bloody right hand, but then he felt something else. He looked down to see Buck taking a pee on his pants.

Paul jumped back, "Ew! Bad dog! Bad dog!" Suddenly, his other wrist was attacked, this time by Sadie, and it caused him to let go of the other leash, freeing Isabel. "AAAH!!!" He yelled out as now both of his hands were bleeding and in pain.

Finally, Auger jumped onto his back and began clawing at his neck. "Bad dogs! Bad dogs!" He yelled. Paul quickly whacked Auger off his back and shook Sadie off his arm. "You all are an abomination! Every one of you!" He yelled out in frustration. "Joe, you can have that woman! I never liked her for her, I liked her for what she brought out in me! You can all burn in hell!" He then spotted Isabel approaching the unmoving white dog on the living room floor. He may have lost his shot at the dog show, but he sure as hell was not going to give up his 2-time champion to a mutt. "Isabel, come!" He pointed at Isabel and gestured her to approach. She was now sitting beside Bolt, looking at him for a sign that he was okay, and apparently disobedient of Paul's command. "Isabel, come here. Now." Paul ordered. Isabel still did not obey. "You want to do it the hard way, Izzy?" Paul asked her, a hint of anger beginning to show, and then he approached Isabel, his blood-covered right hand reaching out to her, ready to grab her.

Emily then stood in front of him, blocking him from Isabel. Paul rose up from his slightly crouched position, an infuriated look on his face. "You are not fit to take care of her!" Emily stated. "Uh... do you know who you are talking to?" Paul started. "You are talking to the world's greatest dog trainer, Paul Osmond."

"No she is not!" Joe began, and stepped in beside Emily. "She is talking to a felon." Joe reached into his pocket and pulled out a clump of fur. "I have tested the DNA of this fur found in your house. It matches Bolt's DNA." He said with a confident smile.

Finally, Penny stepped in. "There's a cop behind you." She added.

Paul turned around to see an officer with cuffs ready for him. "You're coming downtown, buddy." He held out Paul's bloody wrists and secured handcuffs on them.

"Do you know who you are arresting?" Paul asked.

"Shut up!" The officer yelled and dragged Paul out the door.

Joe and Emily both let out collective sighs of relief. As far as they could tell, it was over. However, that's what they had figured at the moment, in truth, that was only one thing settled. She turned her head and saw Bolt lying on the ground, still motionless. Isabel was still alongside, now nuzzling him and whimpering a little. "Bolt, please get up! Please! Don't leave me, baby!" Isabel pleaded, beginning to cry.

Penny approached and knelt down, "Bolt?"

Bolt, who would usually react to Penny's voice with a wagging tail and a happy look on his face, did not budge. He still lay there, not making a motion.

"Bolt, come on! He's gone." Penny encouraged. He was still motionless and tears began to form in Penny's eyes. "Bolt?" She said helplessly, beginning to cry a little herself. Bolt still didn't move. Penny began to cry, burying her face into Bolt's furry body.

Emily, who had been watching, closed her eyes and let out a depressed sigh, turning her head to Joe.

Joe sighed, just as upset, and knelt down to Penny's level and placed a hand on Bolt's head. "Such bravery. He sacrificed himself to save Isabel from Paul. Bolt the Superdog doesn't sound so farfetched now. He will die a hero."

Rhino rolled his ball off the couch, from which he had been watching, and over to Bolt's apparently lifeless body. "No... Bolt!" He yelled. Auger, Sadie, and Buck gathered around as well, and all three began sobbing.

Three officers made their way into the house and noticed the unmoving white dog and the mourning. "Is he..." One officer asked, voice full of sorrow, as if he already knew.

Another officer drew a long, deep breath and replied, "Yes. The poor guy. He gave his life to protect them." His voice was low and sorrowful.

The third cop, a woman, then began, "That's Bolt. Bolt the Superdog." She looked down and saw the three dogs without collars, Auger, Daisy, and Buck also grieving Bolt's death.

The mourning continued for twenty more seconds until suddenly, Bolt's ear twitched.

Emily noticed this and leaned over to get a closer look. "Bolt?" She asked, an astonished look on her face.

Bolt's ear twitched again.

"Guys! Guys! Look!" She pointed at Bolt, shaking Penny so she'd see it.

Bolt's eye began to slowly open.

"BOLT!!!" Penny yelled, extatic and relieved.

"Oh, no way! No way!" Isabel yelled, tears of joy in her eyes.

Everyone started leaning over to pet Bolt and celebrate that he was, indeed, still alive.

Bolt sat up, shook it off, and panted, wagging his tail happily. Bolt was getting the attention he'd always dreamed of. However, Bolt's paw hurt worse than before. He whimpered as he tried to place it on the ground. Apparently what had happened was when Bolt hit the wall, his wounded paw hit first, followed by his head landing right on top of it, and he fainted due to the sudden rush of pain.

"Oh no." Penny said glumly as she noticed Bolt's reaction to touching his paw to the ground. "Joe? Is he gonna be okay?"

Joe examined the wounded paw gently. "Looks like he broke it again. We'd better keep that cast on it, but he'll be fine." Joe stated sympathetically, but at the same time relieved. "You're a real hero, Bolt." Joe stated as he patted Bolt on the head. Bolt gave Joe a lick on the face. He had a strong feeling that this guy was going to be his new Dad.

Before Paul was taken into a police car, Geoff was waiting on the outside for him. "So, you're the one that took the dogs! And you hurt little Bolt! You mess with my little friend, you mess with me!" Geoff then gave Paul a hard kick right to the groin.

After everyone had dispersed, Bolt remained sitting where he had been, now cuddling with his love. All the people that had once been crowding around Bolt were now talking with the police, stating what happened, and even a local news crew was there, covering the story of a heroic dog.

The trio from the shelter had also dispersed. They were getting attention from the woman police officer.

Rhino was finally clear of all the people and could get a word in edgewise. "Bolt...? Y-your alive?" Rhino asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah. Looks like you were right, someone got jacked alright!" Bolt responded with a confident smirk tugging at his mouth.

"I don't see a lot of action like that in my life but that... was... FULLY BE-AWESOME!!! You were like, 'GRR!!' and he was all like 'Bla bla bla bla' and you just went... whoosh! Pow! Bam! And then you set the others free and they went all... BAM!! Zam! Pow! Boom!! That was 1000% fully beyond be-awesome!!"

Bolt laughed as Rhino blathered on. Bolt then broke the ice with Isabel as Rhino rolled his ball back to the TV. "So, what do you want to do now, Isabel?" Mr. Carrot landed beside Bolt with a squeak, tossed by Penny. He looked down at it and began attacking it, growling playfully. Isabel giggled,

"You lazy guy! I'm gonna get that carrot from you!" She teased, and they began to playfight over Mr. Carrot.

After playing for a few moments with Isabel, Bolt then stopped, nursing his paw a little and looking down.

"Oh! I'm sorry, baby! Did I hurt your paw?" Isabel asked, sounding concerned.

"No, it's fine." Bolt insisted, still looking down. Bolt was looking down at the stack of paper he had landed on after his hard impact with the wall.

"What is it?" Isabel asked and began to approach the paper.

What they saw was a paper in the pile with Bolt's name handwritten on it and the name 'Andrew Goldman', the agent from Hollywood, signed on the signature line. Isabel took her paw and pulled the paper out from the pile so they could read the whole thing. The paper was sky blue and had a decorative border, and it read at the top below the border in large, boldface letters. 'Certificate of Pedigree'. Underneath the title were two lines of text. Some words, namely Bolt's name, were handwritten on lines. It read. 'This is a certificate of pedigree, while which still exists, officially deems Bolt a dog pure of breed as an American Shepherd.' In the center was a picture of Bolt as a puppy with his mom and dad alongside, both almost a carbon copy of Bolt in appearance, from the fur length to the eye colour. Underneath it was a caption, in large print. 'Bolt, Purebred American Shepherd'.


	15. To Return

I did some serious editing to this chapter. I realized exactly how far I have come in my writing. Anyways, where the heck is Mittens?! That's pretty much the point of this chapter... just a filler so chapter 14 wasn't the end. Let's begin!

XV: To Return

After the chaotic afternoon, things had calmed down at the Wallace residence. The family began cleaning up the mess left from Paul and Joe's brawl, and the female cop even adopted Auger, Daisy, and Buck with the promise she would let them come visit Isabel and Bolt sometime.

***

For the next several hours, Bolt and Isabel were in a state of disbelief, mainly because of the news that Bolt was a purebred dog by blood and they had found the pedigree to prove it, but coupled with the events that had happened earlier that afternoon; they were now just catching their breath, trying to let it soak in.

Everything seemed to be happy again at the Wallace house for the most part, but one thing was still missing; Mittens. Bolt had already built up in his mind that he would never see Mittens again, he knew that Mittens couldn't have survived the forest with those bumbling poachers around, let alone find her way home, and this showed on Bolt over the next few hours, as he quickly fell into a depression, so much so that he looked as if he could cry, but no tears were shed.

Bolt was sitting on the couch with his face planted between his paws, his injured one in a cast lying limply on the couch beside him.

Penny was alongside him, stroking the scruff of his neck, and she sensed that he was upset. "Oh, Bolt. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll turn up. We're gonna go look for her tomorrow."

Bolt let out a sigh, he could tell that Penny was just as doubtful about Mittens as he was. He focused his eyes on the TV screen.

"Oh, Bolt. It's not that bad." Isabel encouraged.

"Not that bad? She's my best friend." Bolt replied.

"But you got me, Bolt. And Penny."

"Yes, I know, but she... well... she completes me... just as you do. I love you, Isabel. I love Penny, too. But I also love her, just in a different way is all. If it wasn't for her, I'd be lost somewhere in New York City asking sewer rats about the green-eyed man."

Isabel sighed. She had to gather her thoughts as he had just defeated her arguments, "I can understand that..... But, Bolt ...If she doesn't come back..."

"...It's my fault." Bolt completed.

"Your fault? Bolt, how is it your fault?"

"I was the one that drove her away. She came to that house to save me... at least that was her intention... and I pretty much told her 'Go! I don't need you anymore!' That's not how I want it to end. Save Penny, that cat is my longest and closest friend. She taught me all the rules and showed me how to be a real dog. For the first five years of my life, I was convinced that my destiny was to keep Penny safe from the green-eyed man. To me, cats were evil; on the inside of the green-eyed man's operation. I was never let off the set, but when I ran to save Penny... and I wound up in New York City. How? I still don't know. That's where I met Mittens. I still thought all my superpowers were real... until... she taught me... how to live. She's a part of me, Isabel. I couldn't bare to see her go." Bolt's words came out bold and unbroken. His face kept the same dry expression the entirety of his speech.

Isabel now felt a little sorry for Bolt now as this was the first time she heard this story. She leaned in and nuzzled him gently. "I'm sorry."

Bolt responded by nuzzling her back and kissing her. "Thank you." He finally said.

***

The clock read 7:20, ten minutes before Joe and Emily's scheduled date, but they were too excited to wait and decided to start it early.

Emily came out dressed in the same polka dot skirt she wore on her first date with Paul, and she found a nice black and white tuxedo and a blue tie for Joe. "We'll be back around 9:30 or 10 at the latest, honey. Please keep the door locked. You can invite friends over to spend the night but just make sure they clean up after themselves." Emily directed, as if she'd have to give this speech many times before.

"Okay, mom." Penny responded. Penny walked to the door after Emily and Joe had left and locked it, but right as she turned away to head back to the living room, Emily began knocking on it from the other side.

Penny unlocked it and opened it slowly, and Emily was standing there with a huge smile on her face, in her hands was a fuzzy, black and white cat, shivering a little.

"Mittens? How did you find her?!"

"She was sitting on the sidewalk out here, she looks cold and exhausted." Emily handed Mittens to Penny and Penny began to stroke her, trying to calm her down. Emily and Joe then departed.

"Bolt! Look who I got!" Penny called out. Bolt, who had been sleeping with Isabel, awoke and immediately yawned. He stood up, eyes still closed, and stretched. Mittens looked down at the fluffy white dog and noticed, right next to him, was the same gold husky that she had seen the other day.

Penny placed Mittens on the ground.

Bolt opened his eyes. Before Mittens or Penny could get a word in edgewise, Bolt immediately jumped on top of Mittens, turning her onto her back and giving her several licks with his wet tongue.

"Aah! Bolt! Okay, okay! That's enough, Bolt!" Mittens warned, and Bolt backed off of her. "It's good to see you, too, Bolt! Just ease up on the greeting." She said as she turned to Bolt, wiping herself free of his slobber.

"Mittens, I missed you! Where were you?"

"Well, I was walking through the woods and I head a dog yelp. I thought it was you coming to save me, so I ran back but you weren't there. That's when I got lost and looked for the nearest road. It took me a full day to get here, so I'm beat."

"I was worried about you, Mittens. I left the house and ran after you. I'm so sorry about what I said!"

"I figured you were a little lost and confused, so don't mention it! All is forgiven, Bolt, and I love you... as a good friend. But... how did Isabel get here?"

"Well, long story short... I love her, Mittens. She loves me too."

"And... would your paw have something to do with your love for her? Is that cast her idea of an engagement ring?" She asked in playful sarcasm, noticing Bolt's paw in a cast.

"I broke my paw, Mittens... because I tried to save you."

Mittens's eyes went wide.

I ran out after you. I heard about the poachers and I felt you'd need my help. I'd never been in the woods before and ran into a rattlesnake, I was so scared that I bolted away and then I broke my paw when I tripped over a root. Then Isabel was shot with a sleepy bullet and we were taken to a shelter. Mittens, I was so worried about you... that I cried myself to sleep last night."

Mittens was stunned, not only had she never seen Bolt cry, but she never knew Bolt cared so much that he'd risk his life to save her. "You... you did? You went through all that for me?"

"Yeah, Mittens. Because I care about you. You're my best friend." He gave her a short lick on the nose. Mittens hugged him back. "Glad you're home, Mittens." Bolt said through a half-hearted gaze down at her.

"Glad to be home." Mittens responded with tears of joy in her eyes, "God am I glad..."

Mittens then trotted over to the large dog bed Bolt and Isabel were sleeping in and rested beside Bolt.

Bolt felt Isabel's warmth against him and watched Mittens fall asleep next to him.

Penny approached and pet all three of them, kissing each of them on the head as she said "Good night...", and after kissing Bolt goodnight she added, "You're my good boy." Bolt smiled, boy it was good to have things back to normal.

Penny walked to the couch and began text messaging on her cell phone.

Rhino was still there in his ball. He eyed the trio sleeping in the same bed, smiled, and recited to himself, captioning the moment, "Love feels great while it lasts and leaves a scar when it ends... however, if you get the right one, it can last a lifetime." He sighed as he gazed at them, before bowing his head as he looked at Bolt. His voice deep and meaningful, he spoke, "Rest well, hero."


	16. Author's Note

Author's note

My status on ... I guess you would call it waning. Kinda sad that I say this, though, as, to be honest, writing fanfiction here indirectly changed my life. I'd go into detail, but I don't want to make a 3-page author's note. These are just to update my fans and followers.... I know I have quite a few watchers and I want to thank every one of them! Thank you all for everything you have done!

Nostalgia... I still have chapters 1-4 on my computer and I still have plans to continue it at some point, but the issue here is the gap in between Vertigo and Nostalgia. Since I deleted Barely Aware from , I will need to change Nostalgia around a little, as well as rewrite Vertigo so it leads to Nostalgia instead of Barely Aware. I will try to begin this project soon, but not immediately.

What I have in mind at the moment is sort of a furry novel. This one may interest those of you in the Furry Fandom (this is the Bolt section... I have a feeling there are a lot of furries here). I am a fan of NASCAR, and I am a fan of furries, and I am gay (heh, I ain't gonna lie to anyone)... so I figured sort of a mix between Out of Position, Geography Club, and NASCAR. If you're interested, I plan to put this on fictionpress. It will be rated M for a few scenes, and it will be centered around open-mindedness to gays, so if you can't handle that then stay out xD Either way, I've been thinking about how to go about this for MONTHS, and finally have ideas, so I definitely want to start this before I forget them.

As if this needs to be said... if you have not seen Bolt... FREAKIN SEE IT!!! My sister is the only human (with not-total-humans it is a given) I know of that did not like it... and that's because she likes horror and action and is not a fan of animation and cartoony goodness. It is safe to say that this movie changed my life indirectly. SEE EET!!! DO EET NAOUGH!!!


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